Soul Calibur II: Return of The Soul Edge
by randh13th
Summary: When the evil is about to triumph, Soul Calibur returned to turn the tide of battle. In a twist of fate, Soul Edge has escaped its destruction and find a lonely soul who more than willing to bear it..thus continuing its evil legacy. Complete
1. The Introduction

Soul Calibur II:  
  
The Return of Soul Edge  
  
-The Introduction-  
  
He was running.   
  
His eyes bore a terrified look, a desperate one.   
  
He needed to escape, but there was nowhere to run. The town was silent; there were nobody around. He turned a corner and stumbled over to an empty wagon. Resting against it, he took in a ragged breath while perspiration dotted his forehead. A shriek caused him to look around, fear occupying his face. Pushing away from the wagon, he started to run again, only to be greeted by a horrific sight. The decapitated body stood over him, blood staining its clothing. His eyes caught sight of the severed head, staring up at him as it lay in a pool of its own blood.  
  
He got away quickly and ran away, only to turn the corner and trip something over and fall to the ground. When he turned over to see what cause him to fall, he screamed. It was another body. Then the pounding of heavy footsteps from around the corner jerked him back to reality. He ran again, turned a corner, and then into another. He stopped in his tracks suddenly. The town square was filled with the dead bodies, and water in the fountain has been turned red, like blood…  
  
"No! No! No!" He said as he closed his eyes. Then a loud crash sounded behind him. He covered his face from the swirling dirt with his arm. Taking a defensive step backwards, he slowly lowered his arms from his eyes to look directly at the source of the disturbance.  
  
The menacing form of the azure knight stood in front of him. Its crimson eyes locking onto his figure straight. The knight's right hand was deformed; it looked like a huge claw and held something on it. Its left hand held a giant sword. He noticed that there is something blinking at the sword. A single, huge yellowish, blood shot eye stared him. It throbbed like his heartbeat. A disembodied voice spoke,  
  
"Come back…Take what is yours! Take the Soul Edge back!" He screamed vehemently.  
  
"No! I don't want the Soul Edge anymore! I want no more of that accursed sword; there will be no more death done in my name!" Instead, the azure knight shoved his right hand, showing what it held. It was a severed head! From its appearance, the head was belonged to a middle-aged man with blond beard and blue eyes. Suddenly, the head stared him and spoke,  
  
"Have you forgotten me, son? I can understand why you killed me, but these people…they are innocent…" To his horror, the head was transformed into a middle-aged woman. It stared him with an underlying sadness, while a pearly tear rolled upon its cheek,  
  
"Why are you doing this, son? Probably, it is better that you'd never born to this world…you have become a nightmare, Siegfried Schtauffen…" At the same time, the knight in azure armor laughed hideously. The laugh continued, getting louder. And louder. And louder. He closed both ears with his hands, while screaming in terror…  
  
He screamed in terror, his eyes bursting open as he awoke. Heavy perspiration was present on his face, his breathing labored. He lay still for a short moment, finding himself at the grassland. A little girl with red sash over her head stared him incredulously. She had curly hairs, while her hands held the flowers. He tried to smile, but it was very hard. Finally, he offered a weak smile,  
  
"Hi…" Then two people ran toward them. The little girl turned to the black-moustache man and the black-haired woman; they wore the clothing, which has usually worn by the Gypsies. The woman hugged the little girl, saying,  
  
  
  
"Kara, how many times I've told you to not disturb people?" The girl smiled in reply. Then the mother turned to the stranger,  
  
"I'm apologize if my daughter has disturbing your nap…" The man looked haggard and unshaven. His blond hair was mixed with some reddish strands; while he didn't wear any clothing saves some armoring. The black-moustache man watched him with suspicion. The Gypsy woman spoke again,  
  
"Sir, would you care to join us? Our caravan isn't very far. You can eat there…" The mustached man quickly cut her,  
  
"Magda, please don't bother this gentleman. Probably he doesn't like to join with people like us…" Slowly, the man rose and covered himself with a dirty cloak. He held a huge, but broken sword on his left hand. The Gypsies was alarmed, yet he said to defuse their apprehension,   
  
"Thanks for your kindness, but I have something important to do…" He left them alone and went to the nearest forest. While returned to their caravan, the Gypsy woman stared her companion as she carried the girl,  
  
"Ravel, you don't have to be rude. The poor man can use some help…" Ravel replied without any expression,  
  
"He is a stranger, Magda! Beside, I have another reason to not invite him…" He explained,  
  
"Two villages nearby have been destroyed and the villagers was slaughtered…rumors said that it must be the workings of a demon, since nobody could massacre so many people single-handedly…" Magda sniffed,  
  
"So, do you think that poor man have something to do with that?" The Gypsy sighed,  
  
"Perhaps, I don't know for sure. But I won't take any chances…" As they conversed, the man who once had called Siegfried or Nightmare disappeared into the forest. Few hours later, a loud scream was heard…  
  
Four years later,  
  
Four people huddled around the bonfire, not far from the abandoned Egyptian crypt. They wore the brownish, thick tunic with black coat. The largest among them started to speak,  
  
"What a boring night! Nobody passes the trail tonight…" The mouse-looking man beside him answered,  
  
"Probably they took another trail…" The man with a scarred face harrumphed,  
  
"Huh, if they keep doing that, soon we'll be jobless…" The gold-toothed man in front of him smiled, showing his glittering teeth,  
  
"Calm down, Qarim! It isn't the first time we haven't get anything…hey, do you remember one of our victim four months ago?" The large man laughed,  
  
"Yeah, do you see his face when we said to him that we're going to kill him? It was very pathetic…" The mouse-looking man followed,  
  
"He has nothing but the worthless pieces of metal…" Everybody laughed again, savoring the event like nothing. Suddenly the mouse-looking man went hurriedly to another direction. The scarred man called,  
  
"Hey, Qassim! Where are you going? To relieve your bladder?" Once again, those bandits laughed.  
  
At the secluded place, Qassim breathed in relief after finished. Then he spotted a shadow behind him.  
  
"Hey, is that you, Hussain?" No answer came. He called again,  
  
"Come on, don't make me doing this!" Qassim instantly unsheathed his scimitar and sneak silently toward the shadow. Without warning, he jumped in front of the shadow, and shouted,  
  
"Gotcha! I've got you now, Huss…" In no time, the shout turned into a scream. The joke was turned deadly.  
  
The scream instantly alarmed Qassim's accomplices. They prepared their weapons just in case. Hussain, the tall man held a morning star and a wicked-looking scythe. Chains held both weapons together. He turned to the scarred man,  
  
"What is that, Qarim?" Qarim merely produced a claw weapon at his right hand; he answered roughly,  
  
"How do I know?" Then he shouted,  
  
"Qassim, is this one of your jokes? If it is, it isn't funny!" The gold-toothed bandit has pulled his twin daggers as well. Qarim called again with impatient tone,  
  
"Damn you, Qassim! May Allah curse you for eternity!" Suddenly, something large fell to their sight. To their horror, it was the crumpled body of Qassim. It bore the stab wounds. Hussain broke into tears upon the sight of his friend,  
  
"Qassim!" Then he snarled like a rabid dog, "Who dares to kill my friend? I swear that I'm going to skin that bastard alive…" In response of the bandit, a lumbering shadow came forward. It became clearer with the bonfire. The bandit gasped in shock and revulsion when they saw the thing…  
  
The thing that stood in front of those bandits was composed of skeletal remains, yet it wasn't look like a human skeleton. It didn't have a skull, while its limbs looked disproportionate. In the place of the entrails, the fleshy core with a huge, yellowish eye suspended by the makeshift ribcage. The eye stared the bandits one by one, as the core throbbed along with their heartbeats. They noted that the creature's left limb wet with fresh blood; no doubt, it was the one who had killed Qassim. The gold-toothed bandit exclaimed,  
  
"Astagafirullah! What kind of djinn is that?" Hussain merely grinded his teeth out of anger,  
  
"Djinn or not, this wretch has killed Qassim and I'm going to send it back to where it belongs…" However, the scarface stopped him,  
  
"Wait, Hussain! I want to play with this creature for a while, then the rest is yours…" Qarim jumped forward, while shoving his claws to taunt the creature. The skeletal creature itself watched his stance carefully. The bandit smiled,  
  
"Hey, what is your name? Djinn? Demon? Eaah, let's stop this charades! I'm going to tear you…"  
  
Inside the core, a hideous voice spoke, '…charades…charade…" The eye watched its opponent intensely, while a flashy images passed inside. Qarim opened the first attack by slashing the claw horizontally, and then followed by the vertical one. The creature moved in a nimble posture, avoiding the attack perfectly. The scarred bandit forced his attack with swirling his body before sending the thrust attack. Again, the creature evaded it. They continued the stance, while Hussain shouted impatiently,  
  
"Qarim, what are you waiting for? Kill that bastard quickly!"  
  
"I'm trying!" As the creature watched Qarim's stance, an image of a pirate that held the twin sword passed inside its thought, followed by an azure knight, a huge golem and finally a crawling blind assassin. Then it charged forward, giving the simultaneous stomp and head butt to the bandit. Everyone laughed when saw what happened.  
  
Angrily, Qarim swung his weapon furiously. Instantly, the creature's right arm materialized into a scimitar and blocked the attack. The bandit growled,  
  
"So, you finally have a weapon, hah? I'd bet it must belonged to the poor Qassim!" The creature was silent; instead it performed an uppercut strike that forced Qarim out. Then it followed by a two-handed sideswipe that changed into a giant overhead chop. It managed to tear the bandit's tunic. Furious, Qarim started to attack in erratic manner. Yet, the strange creature merely counters it with ease. When the bandit charged, it performed a vertical cut toward the right side. Qarim heard a faint, moist sound that thrilled and repulsed him at the same time. His accomplices took a single deep breath and groaned. Glancing down, he saw his own severed right hand, still with the claw attached. Instantly, he howled in pain, holding the severed arm.  
  
The creature nodded in satisfaction, but then the morning star suddenly crushed its appendages. It turned its attention to Hussain who had swung his weapons above his head,  
  
"For Qassim, I'll ground you into dust!" The eye squinted in response. Amazingly, the crushed limb were pulled back to their place and returned to the normal. The large bandit threw again its weapon, but the creature avoided the attack at the nick of time. Now Hussain threw the scythe toward its target, and it hit the left limb. The creature fell upon the sand. The bandit quickly took the chance to bring both morning star and scythe to crushing blow. The creature incredibly crawled away, allowing the blow hit empty place. Once again, it has regenerated its own limb. In addition of the scimitar, now it has added the claw weapon at its left limb. When the bandit attacked again, it performed a horizontal attack to the feet. Hussain grunted, but he forced himself to stand ground. He immediately swung both weapons into a whirl, spinning around. The creature watched its movement carefully. Suddenly, the bandit swung the morning star toward the core. Instinctively, it blocked the attack by crossing the weapons, yet it didn't ready when the scythe struck the head part. It fell on the ground, while Hussain laughed,  
  
"Nobody survive from Hussain! I'm the only one who mastered this kind of weapon…" To his dismay, the creature regenerated its broken part and stood again like nothing happened. This time, the huge bandit lost his patience. He quickly uses again the same maneuver, but this time the creature was ready. It spins away while performing a horizontal arc with its scimitar. The weapons clashed each other; Hussain was stunned with the attack and lost control of his weapons. The creature quickly charged in with two sweeping horizontal blows, rendering the bandit helpless. Finally, it rushes forward with claw weapon and drove it deeply to its opponent. Hussain could only stared with disbelief as the creature stabbed him. The eye was throbbed wildly as the bandit's blood gushed over it. It slowly let Hussain's body fall on the ground. The gold-toothed man was shaken with the event; he didn't expect the creature could kill his friend. Throwing away his weapon, he quickly left the place. The mysterious creature followed him, while Hussain's weapon materialized in its hands. It whirled the weapon overhead and threw the scythe toward the running bandit. Instantly, the weapon yanked his feet and he fell to the ground. Before he managed to utter a scream, the creature already swung the morning star toward his head…  
  
After finished its victim, the eye turned around, looking for the remaining bandit. The only clue was a trail of blood toward the crypt. The creature decided to ignore him and turned to the corpses. It dragged Qassim and Hussain's body toward east…it left a glittering object…a gold tooth.  
  
Qarim ran as far as he could. Without further thinking, he entered the dark crypt, hoping the creature didn't pursue him. He didn't even realize that the fiery glowing eyes watched him. The bandit breathed in relief, while he held his severed arm. When turned around, he was speechless. From the darkness, a huge, green-skinned creature came out. Its chest plate glowed with an unnatural blaze and the creature snorted with displeasure as Qarim shuddered in fear. Before the bandit managed to run, the green creature bashed him to the ground and impaled him with an energy-like weapon. Crushed now against the cold floor and felt the weapon was pulled out from his body slowly, Qarim prayed silently in his native tongue. The man was gurgling upon his own blood. His screams were barely audible.  
  
Meanwhile at the ruins of the Ostrheinsburg Castle, rain poured endlessly on the ruined castle. The ruins have become a silent witness to the bloodshed that happened at its ground. It have witnessed Stefan's vain attempt to defend it against Marquis Andre's superior force, and then Nightmare's horrible massacre in order to resurrect his dead father, without knowing it was the scheme of the demonic Soul Edge. It also witnessed his fall and breaking of the Soul Edge. The fragments buried beneath the ground, yet they emanated the reddish aura faintly. Now it would witness the resurrection of the Merciless Destroyer…  
  
While the rain still poured down, the harsh voice came to the air,  
  
"Ker, hear me! I want Soul Edge!" The ground where the fragments of the evil sword once scattered, shook violently. Again, the voice shouted with a louder tone,  
  
"Ker, heed my command! Bring Soul Edge to me! Rise up, my champion! I bid you to arise! Come forth, Astaroth! COME FORTH!" In a sudden, the ground cracked and opened into a huge crack. From the crack, something huge appeared. It was a huge man with a broken chest plate and a mask that covered his mouth. His throbbing heart peeked from the broken plate. He roared aloud in the midst of the ruins, and then turned to the rained sky. The voice spoke to him,  
  
"Astaroth, I've brought you back to the death! You must find Soul Edge for me! Find and bring the sword for me!" The golem thudded his chest and shouted,  
  
"Exterminate!" The voice continued,  
  
"You won't have any difficulty to find it, since you're made from the soil of this place and it has contained the fragments of Soul Edge! Do you feel it, my champion?" Astaroth didn't answer,  
  
"Not only that, it would render you stronger than before! Now, depart! Find the Soul Edge for me!! Find it!" The golem bent down and took his Kulutues. The lightning cracked as Astaroth roared again,  
  
"Destroy all! It will rain blood today!!" Laid his axe upon the shoulder, he went into the black mist and vanished…  
  
On the Mediterranean Ocean, two ships were anchored at the open sea. The smaller ship rested beside the huge one. On the ship, two people were conversing each other. The young-looking man with blue eyes turned to the burly one. The young man wore the white shirt with brown blazer, while his head wrapped with red bandanna. His friend has an auburn hair and held an axe. The man asked,  
  
"Hey, Svenson! What does Captain Paulo doing there? It' s already three hours since they went aboard that ship!" The burly man answered,  
  
"You're right, Marle! Let's come to check it…" Then they climbed aboard to the large ship. Once inside, the sprawling bodies around the hull greeted them. Marle could only gasp in fear, while Svenson called,  
  
"Marle, Captain is here! He's…wounded…" The young sailor came and saw his friends held an old man. His throat was cut severely by a sharp object. He screamed,  
  
"Captain! Who did this to you?" Struggling, the dying man pointed to the main mast of the ship. When they turned around, they saw someone stood at the top. A tall figure watched them coldly; he wore the green pirate clothing, green cloak and a captain's cap, while crossing his arms on the chest. The right hand held a blade with a pistol-like hilt, while the other has a longer blade. Then he greeted them with a loud voice,  
  
"Ahoy, mates! Welcome aboard to the Adrian!" After saying that, the man jumped below, somersaulted and finally landed on his feet. Svenson pulled his axe, while Marle prepared his pistol. At the same time, the old man breathed his last breath. As the mysterious figure went closer, they could see clearly despite the mist around them. The man's face was pallid like a corpse, while the eyes looked opaque. Sometimes it has a red or white glare on it. The noxious smell filled the air around them. While smiled, the man put his right blade and took his hat, offering a salute,  
  
"Cervantes de Leon at your service…what brings you two here?" Marle asked, while trying hard to control his anger,  
  
"You…are you the one who did this?" Svenson watched the pirate's movement carefully. Then Cervantes put his hat again and looked around with disdain,  
  
"Pshaw, these good-for nothings think that they can salvage my beloved Adrian and getting away without punishment…" The young man gritted his teeth,  
  
"Those good for nothings are our friends!!" The pirate smiled only,  
  
"Ah, I see…now, leave your soul here." Unable to control himself, Marle fired his pistol. However, Cervantes deflected the bullet with flick of his left hand. Svenson saw that the long blade somehow has a throbbing eye. Sound of clang echoed in the darkness. The burly man quickly stopped his friend from wasting the bullet,  
  
"Stop it, would you?" He glanced darkly to the demented pirate, who commented,  
  
"Ah, look what we have here! A brave one!" Then Cervantes taunted them,   
  
"So kill me if you can. Others have tried and failed…"  
  
"Maybe they just didn't cut you into small enough pieces." Svenson slashed the axe horizontally to the midsection of the pirate. However it was avoided with ease. Suddenly the pirate changed his position into a charging one,  
  
"Dread Charge!" As he ran toward his opponent, Cervantes immediately changed the stance,  
  
"Geo Da Ray!" His head hit Svenson's chest squarely; forcing his opponent stumbled backward. The burly sailor rose up angrily, yet the undead pirate attacked again. This time, he sent a kick to his opponent's knee,  
  
"Sadistic Sweep!" Svenson roared and bent his body forward due to the attack. He quickly slashed his weapon maniacally, but nothing hit the pirate. Cervantes himself took a backward step, while crossing his weapons above the head and then slashed upwardly,  
  
"Crossbone Divider!" The attack sent the sailor airborne. The pirate didn't let the chance pass. When his opponent almost landed, he quickly caught him with his long sword at the chest and smashed his victim with the knee. Svenson could only cough blood, as his ribs broken. Throwing him to the ground, Cervantes has prepared his final attack. He charged again and slashed his weapons downward in a X formation, cutting into the flesh,  
  
"Killer X! Die with regret, you fool!" The burly sailor screamed for the last time, and blood spurts from the slash wound. Cervantes smiled widely upon the scene. Marle could only cover his mouth when he saw Svenson's horrible death. He immediately ran to the side of the ship, only to found the pirate standing there. His knee shook violently, when the pirate came closer and said,  
  
"Hmm, where are you going, matey? The party isn't over yet…why don't you tell who you are?" The young sailor screamed, when Cervantes slashed him. However the pirate merely faked it, he slashed his bandanna from the other side. Instantly the blond long hair fell from his head. Cervantes shook his stiffened neck with amusement. Marle actually was a woman.   
  
"Hmm, what a beautiful scene…" Marle was terrified, her body was wet with cold sweats, especially when the pirate touched her gently. Then he flicked Nirvana to her shirt, plucking the buttons one by one to reveal the sailor's chest. She closed her eyes as the icy cold fingers passed over her skin. She shivered because of that. Slowly, Cervantes pulled the terrified young girl closer and whispered softly,  
  
"You're so beautiful…almost reminds me to the one who had destroyed my Soul Edge before…" He distanced himself from her, before saying the terrible word that she dreaded,  
  
"You shall be my nourishment!" With a sudden movement, he turned his back to her and stabbed her at the chest without turning back. Marle's blue eyes bulged out as she let out the blood-curdling scream. She felt that her blood was drained slowly from her. The last thing she saw was the blade that Cervantes use to stab her. It has a bloodshot eye and blinked several time as it drank her blood greedily. Then everything passed to the darkness…  
  
Few minutes later, the woman's body thudded the wooden floor face up. Her face was frozen with utter fear, while her chest bore a gaping wound. Cervantes ignored it like nothing happened; he walked over Marle's cold body and turned to the Soul Edge. The evil blade was bathed with the fresh blood, and throbbed rhythmically. The pirate asked adoringly,  
  
"What do you think, my dear? Did her blood satisfy you?" The Soul Edge responded with the unknown rhythm. Cervantes touched the blade lovingly, at the same time the mist disappeared and the moon was full on the midnight sky.  
  
  
  
"I know that you've missed your pair…we shall find the thief who had called himself Nightmare, my dear! There I will crush him, and what he has taken in his insolence shall be mine again forever." The pirate laughed with an inhuman tone.  
  
At the same time, someone stood at the top of a mountain. It was the azure knight. His crimson hair flew with the wind. He stared the sky menacingly, waiting something. Then a raven came and threw something to him. The knight took it with his huge, clawed right hand and watched it with pleasure. The crimson eyes glinted as the fragment in his hand reverberated and emitted a red aura. He lifted his huge sword. Close to its hilt, there was a huge eye with something like muscles strands. The eye throbbed faster in response to the fragment. He shouted aloud,  
  
"If they wanted the Soul Edge, let them come then! Their souls shall be mine!!" The lightning cracked thrice as Nightmare laughed with infernal merriment, resonates to the Void and answered by Inferno itself…  
  
Author's note: OK, guys! This is my first SC fanfic. I wrote this, based from the information I could get about SC II. The fight might be not exciting, and needs to be improved. The story explains about the appearance of Charade & Necrid, and also the return of Cervantes, Astaroth and Nightmare. I would continue this once I have a time. Reviews, critics (or flames) are welcomed! Enjoy this!  
  
Disclaimer: Soul Calibur II and its characters are belongs to Namco and Sony Playstation. The other characters that are not mentioned are belongs to me. 


	2. The Journey Begins

=The Journey Begins=  
  
Early morning at Seung Han Myoung's residence,  
  
The place looked peaceful, while the square garden was empty, except a lone sweeper. It was very good to start the daily activities for the disciples inside until the loud shouting echoed, breaking the tranquility,  
  
"YUNSUNG!!" Someone ran across the garden, followed by another person. The running person was a red-haired youth with white clothing and orange belt across his right shoulder. He carried a sack behind his back and a Chinese sabre at his left hand. Behind, a black-haired girl with a white-green garment pursued him. She carried a zanbatou at her right hand. The girl shouted furiously,  
  
"Hong Yunsung! Give the White Storm back! I mean it!" The youth laughed back,  
  
"I just borrow it, Mina! I promise I will keep and return it back to Master once I've found the Sword of Salvation…" He didn't watch the sweeper in front of him, and when he did, it was too late. They crashed upon each other, however Yunsung managed to continue his pace and left the poor man sprawling on the floor. He managed to say,  
  
  
  
"Mian hamnida!" Yet, it didn't have any effect as he expected. Instead, his pursuers had become two: Seung Mina, the daughter of Seung Han Myoung and…. the angry sweeper. Silently, Yunsung gritted his teeth for his rashness. Not for long, he already faced the wall. Then he stopped for a moment and squatted his knees. Then he propelled himself upward to the upper part of the wall. The sweeper merely waved his punches on the air, yet the wall didn't stop Mina. She followed what Yunsung had done, jumping to the air. The youth moved quickly and jumped to the other side instantly. When he landed on the ground, he ran as fast as he could. When Mina landed on the wall, Yunsung already vanished from the sight, much to her dismay. The youth's voice echoed,  
  
"Tell Hwang, I'll beat him this time!" Mina sighed tiredly,  
  
"Father won't like to hear this…"  
  
Meanwhile at the mountainous region of Philippines (Now Mountain Provinces, Philippines),  
  
A young girl stood on the top of the hill; she wore a gold pendant and a green garment with white skirt. She has her green hairs tied behind. She closed her eyes; calmly feel the breeze passed her. Then a yellow bird flew beside her and pecked her. The girl smiled as she opened her eyes,  
  
"Ikaw naman, Alun…why are you here?" The bird chirped only,  
  
The girl said, "Come, it's time to go home…" Before left the place, she turned back and whispered,  
  
"I'll be here again, hangin…"  
  
Below the hill, the traditional village stood proudly. The rice terraces surrounded the village, almost like the giant green ladders. At the village, a huge windmill stood there. The girl walked happily, sometimes waving to the villagers. In return, the villagers replied with a gentle smile and bow. The green-haired girl entered the house not far from the windmill. The bird followed her from behind. Inside, an elderly woman sat on the ground, accompanied by a middle-aged woman and man. The man wore a colorful loincloth and sarong, while the woman wore a plain red skirt. The girl greeted them respectfully, while the bird rested on her shoulder,  
  
"Inay! Itay! I'm home…" The woman nodded, while gestured her to greet the elderly woman. The girl knelt in front of the woman,  
  
"Lola! I'm glad to see you here!! Are you coming to accompany me?" The elderly woman smiled and let the girl to stand,  
  
"Of course, how could I let my granddaughter to go by herself?" Then she touched the girl's face dearly,  
  
  
  
"Talim…I still remember when you were little…it is hard to imagine that you're already grown up…" Talim stared her back, before saying,  
  
"I wish I could stay here, but I must do something important…" Then she walked to the earthen jar and took something inside. It was a metal fragment, but the fragment emitted a faint red aura. The elderly woman asked worriedly,  
  
"Talim, are you sure that you want to do this?" The young girl nodded, while her eyes showed a determination,  
  
"It is my call, Grandma! I can't let this evil thing around…I must return them to its rightful place, by then the balance shall be restored…" The man patted the old woman's shoulder,   
  
"Let her decide her steps…for she's the descendant of the Priestess of the Winds. By traveling to the outside world, Talim will appreciate more and I believe it will help her…" Talim's grandmother took a breath, and called her granddaughter to come,  
  
"I have something to accompany you, Talim," She produced two elbow blades and gave her to the stunned girl. Then she said,  
  
"You're very good in using this for dancing, granddaughter. The outside world is full of danger; therefore bring Syi Sarika and Loka Luha to protect you. These blades also serve as a reminder of your village… " Talim couldn't say anything; she hugged her grandmother dearly. The old woman hugged her back. The girl replied,  
  
"I won't forget you, lola! I promise I'll be return here once I've done my mission. Maraming salamat, lola!" The middle-aged woman called them,  
  
"Anak, look what I've made for you," Talim saw her mother carried a white short pants to her,  
  
"I made this for you, Talim! You don't have to wear skirt anywhere. Why don't you try them now?" The green-haired girl took the pants happily and entered her cot immediately. Within a minute, she already wore the pants. Now it was her father's turn to show something. Talim exclaimed in surprise when she saw what her father has: a pair of leather shoes,  
  
"Sapatos? But, father…I don't need that…" The man said assuredly,  
  
"Talim, the people outside wear these things. I know you prefer to walk barefooted, but you must show to the people outside that the mountain tribes aren't ignorant and savage like what they think. You'll carry our name once outside, so show to them what you are really…" Though reluctant, the young girl took the shoes and wore them. It was fit to her perfectly. Then she hugged her father and mother,  
  
"Itay! Inay! Wherever I go, I'm still Talim whom you know dearly… hindi ko kalimutan, maraming salamat…" Her parents merely nodded in agreement, while the elderly woman watched,  
  
  
  
Not for long, Talim took a carabao wagon. Behind, the villagers, including her parents and grandmother waved her hand as the wagon departed. The young girl waved in return, while her face looked sad. She promised herself to return once her mission has done. Wiping her tears, she turned to the person beside her,  
  
"Where are we going?" The man with barong answered,  
  
"To Manila. Once there, we'll drop you at the harbor…then it's up to you to go…" Talim didn't answer; instead she patted the pouch where she had put the fragment inside and pondered,  
  
No matter how far I have to go, I must find these fragments before they hurt anyone else…I won't afraid as long as the winds with me…I can always find the way back…  
  
  
  
At the same time, at China,  
  
The lone man walked along the dusty road. He wore a red plated armor and a black pant; he also carried a katana beside his waist. His face was rugged and bearded, while his hair was knotted behind. He was very thirsty after walked for a long time. Then he caught a street restaurant at the right side of the road. The warrior immediately made his steps faster. Before he was close to the restaurant there, a low howl sounded. He was surprised when he saw a pile of beaten people in front of the restaurant. It seemed those people were beaten senselessly into pulp. Not for long, someone came out from the restaurant and drank a jug of wine greedily. The warrior saw that it was a bald, mustached man with some white strands at both sides of his head. Judged from his appearance, he was far from weak, decrepit old man. His body was well muscled. The man wiped his mouth and then threw the empty jug away,  
  
"Stupid commoners! Did I tell you that the Mishima Company would shoulder the expense! Now just taste my knuckles!" Suddenly he felt something and took something from his pocket. To the warrior's surprise, the man took a metal fragment that emitted the faint red aura and it was reverberated. At the same time, he sensed that his own fragment also reverberated in response to the other. The man turned his attention to him right now and started to crack his knuckles. Sensed the fight, the warrior pulled his katana and put the blade in defensive stance. The man merely walked toward him. The warrior immediately introduced himself,  
  
"My name is Mitsurugi Heishiro! Introduce yourself, are you friend or foe?" The mustached man grinned only,  
  
"That's depends upon your manner, warrior! I'm Mishima Heihachi and I believe you have what I wanted…" Mitsurugi replied without taking off his guard, pointing the tip of Shishi-Oh to his opponent,  
  
"So, you're looking for the Soul Edge, too? I'm sorry, but I won't give the fragment to you…not without fight, at least." Heihachi already put himself in fighting stance,   
  
"Let's see what you are made of…" Both gazed each other with steely, penetrating look. They waited who will strike first. Then a calm voice broke the tension,  
  
"Amida Buddha, I have arrived." Mitsurugi and Heihachi turned their attention to the incoming voice. The masked warrior with a banner behind his back stood stoically. He held his sword at the left side, while the wooden-like right arm steeple the hilt of the sword. The stranger spoke, as his eyes leered from the oni mask,  
  
"It is I, Yoshimitsu!" Heihachi snorted in annoyance,  
  
"Unbelievable, you're here too?" Mitsurugi asked,  
  
"Are you wanting this too? Fine, be my guest if you want to die." Three warriors were locked in deadly fight, slowly the wind breezed among them.  
  
In Xiwei Siege Ruins, a young girl examined the burned ruins around her. She wore a white garment and blue pants, while her hand held the blue Chinese sword. Her face looked distraught and anxious as she watched the ruins longer. The sun started to set westward. Slowly but sure, the shadow fell upon the ruins. The girl touched her head, pondering,  
  
The Imperial Army didn't give them a chance to surrender…if I really told Your Majesty the truth about the Hero's Sword, these people might be alive… Then she knuckled her hand,  
  
No doubt…the fragment of Soul Edge was here once! I thought it had been gone for good after I have defeated Inferno…However, her thought was interrupted by someone's incoming. Instinctively, she unsheathed her sword and lifted it above her head. As the figure came closer,  
  
"Introduce yourself or I will pierce you for good…" Then a familiar voice came,  
  
"Xianghua, is that really you?" The girl stunned when her name was called. The stranger was a brown-haired young man. He was bare-chested and wore the red jacket. He held a red rod at his right hand. Chai Xianghua recognized him instantly. She sheathed her weapon quickly and ran toward the man, shouting,  
  
"Kilik! Yes, it is you!" Then they hugged each other like the old friends. Kilik smiled in return,  
  
"Long time to not see you, Xianghua and…you haven't changed a bit…" The Chinese girl giggled,  
  
"And you're so serious, as usual…by the way, why are you here?" Now Kilik's face turned serious than usual,  
  
"I'm coming here because I've sensed the presence of Evil Seed," Xianghua gasped,  
  
"You too? Then we're having the same objective…" The young man asked her,  
  
"Xianghua, may I know why you are here?" The smile vanished from the girl's face as she explained,  
  
"What happened here is my fault, Kilik. The owner of the castle…recently I think, rumored to have Soul Edge. The Emperor thought he was hid the sword, thus proving his disloyalty by killing the Imperial envoy. So…" Xianghua gulped nervously, as Kilik waited,  
  
"Emperor decided to sent his army to teach the lesson and…that's what happened…" Suddenly, she cried and hugged the young man. Kilik was stunned with her outburst, yet he patted her shoulder to calm her,  
  
"It is my fault! If I've told the truth, they would still alive until now…" Gently, he spoke,  
  
"Xianghua, that's not your fault…don't blame yourself for what you haven't done. Do you think Emperor would believe if you tell him the truth about Soul Edge? No, nobody would believe until they have witnessed it by themselves…"  
  
As the girl lifted her head, Kilik wiped her tear and said,  
  
"It is unlike the Xianghua whom I know…stop crying. The Evil Seed wasn't here, someone had took it away…" Surprised, Xianghua wiped her remaining tears hurriedly and asked,  
  
"Not here? Then where is it?" The bearer of Kali-Yuga didn't answer; instead he turned his attention to the west and said solemnly,  
  
  
  
"Back to where it originates…I've also sensed the resurgence of evil there…"   
  
"You mean…Nightmare has returned too? I thought you're beaten him for good…" Kilik walked away, while Xianghua followed from behind,  
  
"No, he has gone into the Void…" The girl continued,  
  
"…with my Soul Calibur or Krita-Yuga. Great, now I don't have it when we need it badly! Then how do we defeat Soul Edge?" To this, Kilik answered,  
  
"I have destroyed the evil sword before, and now I'll do it again!" Then the Chinese girl asked,  
  
"Have you seen Maxi, Kilik?" The young man suddenly stopped and turned to her sadly,  
  
"No, I didn't see him…" She shook her head,  
  
"Neither do I. I wish we won't leave him alone to fight Astaroth," Kilik sighed only,  
  
"Even so, I do believe that he still alive…" Then Xianghua said,  
  
"You're right! Kilik, let me join you! I want to destroy the evil sword, too…" The young man spoke carefully,  
  
"My journey is very dangerous, Xianghua! Not mention, we didn't know whom we will fight this time. Perhaps Nightmare aren't the only one…" Yet the girl replied,  
  
"Nonsense! Have you forgot when we're together? I had even defeated Inferno after you're too tired! Come on!" Thinking hard, Kilik finally said, while pointing the girl's head,  
  
"Fine, but remember…open your eyes!" Xianghua laughed only,  
  
"Ok, you're the boss!" He smiled only, the girl really reminded him to his late sworn sister, Xianglian. Then they left the ruins.  
  
  
  
Early night at the tavern in Bern, Switzerland,  
  
Many people crowded the tavern as usual. They liked to exchange the stories from abroad. However, this time they talked about a strange subject. The burly man said,  
  
"Have you heard about the massacres around Hungary and Bulgaria? It is very frightening!  
  
  
  
"Yes, someone said that an azure-armored knight with huge hand and sword did it…"  
  
"I thought it was done by an axe-wielding giant…"  
  
"No, stupid! That's wrong! The killer is the knight, not the giant!" The drunken man continued,  
  
"It reminded me to what happened four years ago! When someone named Nightmare committed the massacre…"  
  
Everyone hushed silent until a voice asked,  
  
"Do you think the knight who committed the massacre recently and Nightmare was the same person?"  
  
"Probably, rumors said that they have the same weapon…it was called Soul Edge…"   
  
"Even now, the landowners were restless and started to hire an armed brigand to guard the place…I heard they also hired the seasoned mercenaries…"  
  
"There is no use! No bullets ever touch the knight! I tell you, he must be a demon!" As those people continued their conversation, someone left the tavern after throwing some gold pieces to the bartender. Once outside, he took his horse and rode toward east. The man was looked dashing and debonair with his blond hair. He wore the purple garment with red lines at both sleeves. His blue eyes were full of determination, as he paced his steed faster. He said to himself,  
  
They can say that nobody will beat the azure knight. They were right! Nobody, but me, Raphael Sorel! I'll be the one who will lay hand to the most powerful sword in the world…Soul Edge! Yes, Soul Edge shall be mine! Then his mind flew to the little dimpled girl with red hair. She was smiled, but her eyes showed the otherwise. Raphael patted his trusted rapier,  
  
This is for you, Amy! I promise the better world for you with all of my heart…Flambert, don't fail me! Once again, he paced his horse to run faster and faster.  
  
At the bell tower on the cathedral, someone was watching Raphael from above. The figure was painted in black, white and red, while the greenish eyes gleamed in the dark. The mysterious figure wore the spiked bracelet on both hands. His right feet have something spiky. His blood-red robe flew on the air, as he stood at the cross,  
  
So, the weapon called Soul Edge was in this time…I hope you really keep your deal, Malebolgia…I'll find it and nobody will stop me!  
  
  
  
In Venice, Italy, something jumped from roof to roof with inhuman swiftness. It was a thin man with a purple costume. He wore something like fencing mask, while both hands held katars. He looked like pursuing something elusive. Only one thing in his mind…he must fulfill his master's last wish…for it was the sole purpose of his life!  
  
Below, a gondola followed the man without his knowledge. The rower continued his duty perfunctorily, while his passenger stood stoically. A white, shorthaired woman with the blue naval costume that usually worn by the English nobles, watched the movement of the mysterious man. Silently, she smirked and whispered,  
  
"Vercci, you're lucky to have such loyal servant like him…" Then the woman turned to her short sword,  
  
Voldo will guide me to those who had the fragments of Soul Edge…When the chance arises; I'll end the wretched creature suffering… She clenched her hand into fist. Her grip was very hard; slowly blood stained her white glove. The English woman gritted her teeth in anger,  
  
For I, Isabella Valentine must not fail! I must destroy Soul Edge whatever the cost is, even this would cost my life…though I have to damned myself for that…Ivy's cursed blood dropped into the dark water of Venice. The gondola continued to go, following its elusive quarry.  
  
Late midnight at the hill that overlooked Athens, a young girl with blue-white cloth and skirt watched the sleeping city anxiously. The girl has a blond short hair and pink ribbons tied above both arms, she said to herself worriedly,  
  
Sophitia, forgive me for doing this! I simply can't let you doing this again…if Hephaestus wants someone to destroy Soul Edge, I'll be the one who destroy it, not you. Rothion and the children need you more than the gods do! She turned to the Omega Sword and Nemea Shield that she took from the Eurydice Shrine, and then turned to the steeped path to the west, whispering,  
  
Pallas Athena, I never pray to you before, unlike my sister. This time, I ask you to protect and guide me…help me find the Soul Edge… The Greece girl paced her steps, while leaving the city behind her.  
  
  
  
Three weeks later at Capital Ayutthaya, Thailand  
  
Talim was confused as she traveled inside the busy market. She used to be seen the market in his place, but not so crowd like this one. Not mention, she didn't sense the evil aura in this place. However, Talim managed to learn more about the mysterious fragment. Someone said it was a part of a weapon, but nobody knew for sure what kind of weapon.  
  
  
  
"Naku, how do I find the other fragments?" As she wondered along the market, someone suddenly hit her and snatched the pouch that contained the fragment from her pocket. Felt being snatched, the girl instantly screamed,  
  
"Mandurukot! Magnanakaw!" The snatcher immediately ran away, while Talim quickly pursued him.  
  
In other direction, Yunsung walked in relaxed manner, while munching an apple. He was certain that Hwang once passed this trail when he fought a pirate from Ryukyu. After eating, he would find an inn, taking rest, and then asking someone how to go west. His daydreaming was interrupted by someone running…and crashed him, throwing the half-eaten apple to the ground. As the Korean stunned, the man already ran again. Furious, Yunsung shouted,  
  
"Hey, come back here!" The man was too far to hear his complaint. Everyone ignored it like nothing happened. He fumed, but couldn't do anything but brushed the dust from his clothes. He was very upset when realized that he lost his apple. The youth complained,  
  
"Great, is it my karma to always crashing everyone?" Before turning back, he spotted the small pouch on the ground. Curious, Yunsung took the pouch and checked it. It didn't look so heavy, probably something less valuable. When he almost poured its content, a commanding voice came,  
  
"Hoy, that is mine!" Yunsung turned around and saw a young girl behind him. She wore a green cloth that covered her chest, a white short pants and had her hair tied behind. She also wore the leather shoes and a golden pendant hung on her neck. Her face was looked unpleasant.  
  
Already having a bad mood, the red-haired youth asked back, "Do you have proof that it is really yours?" The girl replied,  
  
"It is mine! I know it!" The Korean was unconvinced; he left the girl after saying,  
  
"Well, that's mine now! Consider as the replacement for my apple…" Talim could only gritted her teeth in frustration, yet she followed the red-haired again.  
  
Not far from the river, Yunsung heard someone familiar called him again. It was the same girl at the market! She said with a pouted face,  
  
"Ang kulit mo! I've told you that the pouch is mine!" Then he said impatiently,  
  
"Look, girl! I haven't a mood to talk with you…" She said annoyingly,  
  
"Yabang! " Once again, the Korean felt offended. He called her, waving her pouch,  
  
"That's it! I'm tired to hear that! If you want this, come and get it!" Yunsung took his sabre and instantly went to fighting stance. The young girl was hesitated, but then she put her pack and pulled the elbow blades. Calmly, she took them and ready for fighting. The Korean smiled, as he stretched his limbs for a warm-up,  
  
"Now it is getting interesting…"  
  
  
  
The last thing that Talim wanted was a fight with the stranger. Yet she couldn't let the fragment fall to the wrong hand, nevertheless she had to fight the redheaded boy. Though never going out from her village, she has heard about them from the wanderers who visited the village occasionally. Unlike the Philippines, the Koreans were still free from any western domination, though they now faced the impending invasion of Japan. Therefore she felt sympathized with their struggle. Then she pleaded him again,  
  
"Pakiusap, I want my pouch back…I don't want to fight with you…" The youth replied,  
  
"Sure, after you've beaten me first…" Yunsung instantly opened his attack by slashing vertically toward the girl. Talim surprised, but she managed to block the attack with her elbow blade. She quickly ducked, and followed it with low slash. The Korean jumped backward to avoid the strike. Silently, he admired the girl's tenacity; her movement was fluid like a wind. The young girl instantly went into her usual stance, recalling the time when she danced for the folk festive at her village. The red-haired boy attacked again; this time he whirled his sabre very fast, forcing his opponent to counter. However, the Filipino girl countered the attack calmly. Without any warning, Yunsung sent his kick toward her side. As she blocks the kick, another kick knocked her to the ground instantly. Her body rolled on the ground, while her opponent paused a while. She groaned in pain,  
  
"Aray! It is very hurtful…" Yunsung asked half-mockingly,  
  
"How now? I would welcome the offer of your surrender, girl, so you can be spared further harm."   
  
"Yun akala mo…" To his surprise, the girl attacked again. This time she brought one of the elbow blades into punching stance. The Korean blocked it, yet Talim quickly brought her weapons together into a sudden thrust at his midsection. Once again, the red-haired youth blocked the attack and retaliated with horizontal slash. The girl had ducked already, stancing herself from the danger. Then he sent the kick toward her. Instead she pulled away, and caught his leg. Yunsung shocked once realized the opponent had caught his left leg; he gritted in anger and ready to twist his body for the succession kick. But then Talim instantly dragged his leg, making him lost balance. Before he could think any maneuver, the foreign girl suddenly went forward and swung her elbow blades from both sides. Instinctively, the red-haired youth brought White Storm to block the attack, and spun his free legs to sweep the opponent's feet. Yet the girl has leaped above his head and landed just behind him. As he rose from the ground, she kicked him forward and caught his arm. Then she threw him quite a distance and jumped again. She landed upon her chest and ready to sent the butt of her weapons to his face when he said,  
  
"Ok, I give up! I'm sorry for taking your pouch…here is it! Take it!" He offered her the pouch. Talim took the pouch and rose up quickly from him. She relieved when finding the fragment was still inside. Meanwhile, the Korean felt humiliated with his unexpected defeat. Then he admitted to himself,  
  
I don't believe thist…this girl has beaten me, though she looks younger than me. I can accept that I can't beat Mina an inch…Probably I have to practice my martial arts more…if I want to find the Sword of Salvation. After putting the sabre, Yunsung turned to the Filipino and said,  
  
"Not bad, girl! Where do you learn such skill?" The green-haired girl turned,  
  
"I'm not fighting, I merely follow the wind and dance with it…by the way, and you're not bad too…" The red-haired youth blushed,  
  
"Thanks for the compliment…" Then he put both hands forward, greeting her, "My name is Hong Yunsung, and may I know yours?" She returned the greet with a nod, while put her hands together,  
  
"I'm Talim…nice to meet you, Hong Yunsung." The Korean offered his hand,  
  
"I think this is the beginning of a good relationship…"  
  
Author's note: Here is the continuation. Actually I have a hard time since I didn't have the game in my hand. I also included Heihachi and Spawn in this story. I don't know if I can include Link as well, just wait and see. If I make any mistakes with the characters, your review, critics (& flames) are welcome! Just wait the continuation in "Trails of Fate and Destiny"  
  
P.S.: I decided to make Talim coming from the Philippines since her styles bear the Filipino names. Not to mention the Village of the Winds seems located at the famous rice terraces of Banawe. If you notice it carefully, she spoke Tagalog in the story. I'm sorry for the non-Filipinos, however I've made the glossary to help you understand the language. For my kababayan, correct me if I made the wrong spelling, grammar or information here. Enjoy the story!  
  
Glossary:  
  
  
  
Korea:  
  
Mian hamnida (I'm sorry)  
  
Filipino:  
  
Ikaw naman (it's you again)  
  
hangin (wind)  
  
Inay (mother)   
  
Itay (father)  
  
Lola (grandma)  
  
Anak (child)  
  
Sapatos (shoes)  
  
hindi ko kalimutan (I won't forget it)   
  
maraming salamat (thank you very much)  
  
Mandurukot (pickpocket/snatcher)  
  
Magnanakaw (thief)  
  
Ang kulit mo (you're intolerable)  
  
Yabang (snobbish)  
  
Pakiusap (please)  
  
Aray (Ouch)  
  
Yun akala mo (That's what you think) 


	3. Trails of Fate and Destiny

=Trails of Fate and Destiny=  
  
Edge of Chaos, where the Grand Shrine of Palgaea located,  
  
Astaroth watched the place long enough; it didn't take him a long time to realize that the shrine was abandoned long time ago. The heretical order of Fygul Cestemus had been abandoned the place, after they found out about Astaroth and Lizardman's demise. Even Kunpaetku, the grand priest was nowhere to seen. The golem roared furiously,  
  
"Deyaaah!! Struggle! Begone!" He waved his giant axe aimlessly, somehow to vent out its frustration. The weapon managed to crush several statues into dusts. Yet, there was no answer to the servant of Ares. Once again, Astaroth laughed,  
  
"Shatter...scatter! Neyhahhaha! Is it the end?" Suddenly a heavy voice answered,  
  
"I think not..." When the golem turned around, Nightmare was standing behind him. He didn't respond, instead turning his attention to the huge, one-eyed sword at the knight's left hand. Realized the stare, the azure knight said, showing the Soul Edge,  
  
"I believe you're looking for this, right?" Again, Astaroth didn't answer. Inside his unholy heart, he admitted that was his intention! Moreover, the fragments inside him responded with the same yearnings, wanting to be reunited.  
  
But then the golem hissed,  
  
"That's not the sword I've wanted..." Nightmare's laugh boomed inside the strange place,  
  
"Of course, Soul Edge needs more soul before it can recover to its full potential...Astaroth, you've helped me once and now I ask you...would you help me again to nourish the never-ending hunger of Soul Edge?" Astaroth pondered the offer; he could attack Nightmare and take the sword to his master. Yet, his master wouldn't be pleased to have such worthless weapon, he must waited the right time first. Slowly, he went closer to the knight. Though looked calm, Nightmare was ready to anticipate any dirty tricks from the golem. Not for long, Astaroth said,  
  
"Help Soul Edge...Astaroth will help Soul Edge with the Kulutues..." Slowly lower his guard, Nightmare nodded,  
  
Excellent, this brute can help me more...but I must be careful! Even though looks dumb, the creature isn't stupid. Once I have powered the Soul Edge, I must get rid of him immediately... He said nonchalantly to Astaroth,  
  
"Come, Astaroth! We still have work to do..." Again, the golem thudded his chest and shouted,  
  
"Destroy all! Smash!" Then they left the eerie place, ready to bring destruction and death to another place.  
  
Back to Ayutthaya, Thailand,  
  
Yunsung and Talim wondered around the market to find the inn. Then he asked her,  
  
"Talim, may I know what inside your pouch? It seems so important to you..." The girl answered carefully,  
  
"This is the fragment that contains an evil aura. I must return it to the place where it belongs, before it hurt the innocent people." The red-haired youth nodded only,  
  
"Hmm, it seems the noble cause to help the others..." Now it was Talim's turn,  
  
"Kuya, why are you here?" Yunsung surprised to hear her calling him like that,  
  
"Ho, wait! What is means?" The young girl explained,  
  
"In my language, it means 'eldest brother'...I think I should call you that, since you're older than me." The Korean looked uncomfortable; he never considers himself as older. Of course, there were plenty people older than him like Hwang...and Mina. Slowly, he said,  
  
"Er...could you call me Yunsung only? I don't like to be called as your brother..." Talim replied with smile,  
  
"Of course, Kuya Yunsung..." Yunsung now panicked; if Mina heard that, she would laugh to death. Once again, he asked her nervously,  
  
"Please, don't call me like that! Call my name only..." Confused, the Filipino girl asked him innocently,  
  
  
  
"Bakit, Kuya? Are you not like me to call you?" The youth was irritated, and then raised his voice one octave higher,  
  
"I'm not your brother!! Is that clear?" Somehow Talim didn't got the message correctly; she replied,  
  
"Fine, Kuya! Let's go..." The Korean was facefaulted, while a big sweat drop appeared at his head. Then he dropped his head tiredly,  
  
"I give up...you're even more difficult than Mina..." They continued to walk, while someone watched them carefully.  
  
"What? There is no vacant room?" The innkeeper answered Yunsung,  
  
"Yes, I'm terribly sorry. Today many people comes to participate in the festivals, so it is usual that all the rooms were occupied..." The Korean asked again, while Talim watched them,  
  
" There must be something you can do, sir...we're only stay for a night, please," Pondering momentarily, the elder innkeeper said,  
  
"I only have a cot with a single bed..."   
  
"Do you have another room?"   
  
"Only that, you can take or leave it..." Suddenly, the girl tapped him and whispered,  
  
"Kuya, take the room; it's better than nothing..." Annoyed, he said,  
  
"I'm not...your brother!" The innkeeper asked again,  
  
"Excuse me, are both of you husband and wife?" Simultaneously, Yunsung and Talim shouted,  
  
"No!!" The old man was stunned with the answer,  
  
"I'm just asking only..." Since they were needed the room badly, the red-haired youth sighed,  
  
"Fine, we take the cot..." Instantly the innkeeper guided them to a small cot with a single bed, a table and a chair. It has a window facing to the capital. Blanket folded at the end of the bed. Yunsung watched the room; it was worst than what he had in Seung's dojo. Then he turned the girl who simply put her belongings at the bed anxiously. Realizing the stare, Talim asked,  
  
"Kuya, why do you staring me like that?" Embarrassed, the youth answered,  
  
"No offense, Talim...but I never sleep inside the room with...a girl before..." She smiled only, as she took the shoes off,  
  
"Why not? I always sleep with my father and mother, sometimes with my cousins. There is nothing to be ashamed for, we're not doing anything wrong..." Yunsung's face became red when heard that, then he explained,  
  
"It isn't what I mean! Probably you think that isn't wrong in your custom, but in my custom, unmarried man and woman aren't allowed to sleep together in one room..." The Filipino girl laid herself to the bamboo bed, while replying,  
  
"Kuya, don't be so nervous...beside it just only a night." Yunsung couldn't say anything to that. He pulled the chair and put it close to the wall near to the window, before leaning on it. The girl asked,  
  
"Kuya, if you want, let's trade the place..." Before she could continue, the Korean pointed,  
  
"No, you take the bed, while I sleep here...one more thing, I'm not your brother!" Talim shook her head,  
  
"Bahala na, Kuya...good night!" As the young girl went asleep, the youth couldn't help to think,  
  
She's nice, thinking everyone else before herself...if Mina has one-third of her, it would be nice... He turned to the outside. The capital looked aglow with the background of the night. Yunsung pondered hard,  
  
I wonder if I could find the Sword of Salvation and returns quickly to Korea...just before Japan invades it. I envy Hwang who had been at the front line...he must be working hard to defend our country. Soon everything will change once I've got the Sword of Salvation...  
  
Back to China, the mist floated silently upon the river. Everything was silent until a raft passed by. Mitsurugi swung the row slowly. Behind him, the Manji ninja sat calmly in a meditating position. Heihachi did the same, but with his back toward them. For minutes, nobody spoke. Then Mitsurugi asked,  
  
"You must be enjoying your victory over us, ninja..." Yoshimitsu turned to the ronin,  
  
"Both of you fought well, but your overconfidence is the greatest enemy..." The ronin smirked to Heihachi's direction,  
  
"Not so much like him..." His smirk was answered with a snort. The ninja continued,  
  
"I must doing this, because the fragments that you've possesses were dangerous and evil...I must destroy it before it too late..." Mitsurugi ignored him, instead turned his attention forward,  
  
"Oh, sure! Don't say that you wanted the Soul Edge as well..." Then he asked, "Your banner...you must be coming from the Manji clan, right?" Stunned, Yoshimitsu said sorrowfully,  
  
"I'm the only survivor from my clan...after Nobunaga dealt with us treacherously! How do you know about my clan?" The ronin turned again to him,  
  
"My liege once was Nobunaga's ally and have a good relationship with him...I've heard from him about your clan...before I'd became a ronin. I believe that's why you're looking for Soul Edge," The ninja didn't answer. It was difficult to know what his face like, since it was hidden behind the mask. Then he explained,  
  
"It was my first intention until I heard about Nightmare...the azure knight! If I followed my vengeance, I would be no different than him," He produced the large fragment from his pocket and pulled his beloved katana. The fragment emitted a faint red aura, while Yoshimitsu's katana reverberated with a blue glow,  
  
"Then I learned about the truth behind Soul Edge...since then I forsook my vengeance and dedicated my life to fight injustice and defend the innocent. Soul Edge has deceived and cause harm to them, therefore it is my duty to destroy it...how about you, ronin?" Mitsurugi rowed slowly, as he spoke,  
  
"Time has changed...human strength has been replaced by gadgetry. I want to find Soul Edge to defeat the Tanegashima rifle. If I found it, I would be invincible enough to defeat any firearms..." Suddenly, Heihachi laughed derisively,  
  
"Heh, heh, heh! PATHETIC!" The mock reached Mitsurugi, who almost pulled his Shishi-Oh if the ninja didn't stop him,  
  
"Ignore him, ronin! The strength to control self is more powerful than anyone on the earth..." Though dissatisfied, Mitsurugi sheathed his katana back. Silently, Heihachi said to himself,  
  
I'd love to show this to that idiot son of mine! Then everyone was quiet, continuing the journey to the nearest port.  
  
Late night at Ayutthaya   
  
Talim already deep in sleep, while Yunsung was sleeping at the chair. Sometimes he waved his hands to get rid the mosquitoes around him. The Filipino girl was undisturbed; the pouch was lying close to her head. Then someone entered the cot through the window. The figure walked silently, watching the sleeping people inside. It tiptoed toward Talim and stared her carefully. When she turned around, the figure noticed the pouch beside her. Slowly, the uninvited intruder put forth its hand toward the pouch...  
  
At the same time, the Korean smacked the unlucky mosquito at his face. Half sleepy, he opened his eyes slightly and saw the mysterious figure close to Talim. Instantly, he was aroused from his slumber and pulled his sabre.  
  
Before the figure reached Talim's pouch, the wheezing sound of White Storm came. The intruder ducked quickly before the sabre cut him into two. Yunsung didn't stop there; he kicked the chair toward his opponent. However, the intruder already jumped to the bed to avoid the attack. The bamboo bed was ruffled and it was enough to wake Talim. Rubbed her eyes, she asked impatiently,  
  
"Ano' ba, kuya...?" To her shock, Yunsung swung his sabre above her face. She almost stopped breathing because of that,  
  
"Nakupo!" The intruder quickly somersaulted and jumped out through the window. Turned to the petrified girl, the red-haired youth shouted,  
  
"Stay here, Talim! I won't be long..." He jumped out, following the mysterious figure that had entered their place. After recovered from the shock, the young girl quickly checked her pouch and found the fragment was still in its place. Without thinking twice, she took Syi Sarika and Loka Luha...  
  
Outside, Yunsung pursued the figure on the rooftops. Though the intruder was swifter than him, he managed to overtake easily. Then he realized whom he had pursued clearly with the dim light. The intruder was a black, pony-tailed woman with a red costume and some protective gears at her shoulder and wrist. The costume hugged her body tightly, almost like a second skin. She had two ninjatos behind her, but she held the upper one. Even in the dark, everyone could see that the woman has the well-endowed chest. The red-haired youth saw that his opponent was Japanese! He asked suspiciously,  
  
"Introduce yourself! Who are you? Are you looking for the Sword of Salvation too?" The woman merely smirked, while staring him fiercely,  
  
"Nothing personal, but I must win..." Quickly, Yunsung assumed that the woman must be the Japanese agent who had been sent to find the sword! But why did she checking Talim, instead him? Then he put the attacking stance,  
  
"If you really want that, you picked the wrong guy to mess with!" The woman pulled her ninjato and shouted,  
  
"Seya! Get ready!" Without waiting, the Korean immediately opened his attack by slashing horizontally. The ninja, however parried the attack calmly with the ninjato. Incensed, the red-haired youth sent his left kick toward the head. The mysterious woman rolled herself backward to avoid the kick, and then spun her body upward and zoomed to her opponent. Yunsung was ready to anticipate, but his opponent was landed behind him and sent a horizontal slash. Instinctively, he put his sabre behind his back, blocking the attack. Yet, he was shoved forward by a kick. Before he could rose, the woman sent another kick that forced him to withdraw. When he controlled himself, he was surprised to find his opponent was no longer around. Suddenly he heard a swift whisper upon his ears,  
  
"It is useless to resist..." Then the woman held his neck with her left arm; he tried to loose himself but no avail. At the same time, Yunsung caught a glitter of light at the right corner of his eye...it was the ninjato! She would stab his neck with that! Driven by instinct of survival, the youth shoved White Storm to his right side. The ninjato clanged to the weapon. He thudded his elbow to the woman's chest with such force, until she was coughed and relaxed her grip. The Korean now turned the table by taking her nape with the sabre and threw her away. The woman was startled, but still swift enough to avoid the kick to her head. She catapulted herself forward and prepared for another stance.   
  
"Not bad, but it's not over..." she smiled with myrrh. Swung his sabre, Yunsung shouted,  
  
"DEYAAA! You're going down!" When the youth charged, the ninja crouched and pulled her right hand. A yellowish sparkle formed slowly on her palm. As their distance got closer, she threw the energy ball downward, while shouting,  
  
"Evil...begone!" The energy ball bounced and hit Yunsung squarely at the chest. He felt something hot and burning was hitting him; before he could think further, he has already airborne and fell to the ground below.   
  
The mysterious woman smiled with satisfaction as she saw that,  
  
"Don't think ill of me..." When she turned around, the sweeping strike flew toward her face. Though taken by surprise, the ninja managed to avoid it by jumping backward and found out that a young girl stood in front of her, brandishing the elbow blades. The girl smiled,  
  
"Kalimutan mo'na ako?"  
  
Meanwhile, Yunsung managed to grab the nearest rope that criss-crossed between the buildings. Using the momentum, he pulled the rope and catapulted himself to the rooftops again. Yet, he missed the edge of the roof an inch. Quickly, he bit his sabre and pulled upward. Once safely secured, the youth saw that his opponent was battling Talim. Then he ran toward them as fast he could.  
  
The fight between Talim and the mysterious woman raged fiercely; both were pitting their skills and swiftness. She realized that the Filipino girl is swift like a wind, but then she was faster and experienced than her. The ninja slashed horizontally, but the young girl blocked it with the elbow blades. When her opponent sent a low sweeping kick, she quickly made a huge sault behind. When Talim landed, the woman caught her waist and threw her away. The girl was taken by surprise, but then she saw that the woman has ready to sent another attack. The ninja immediately whirled, sending a helicopter kick. Talim was forced to block the furious attack, however she instantly cartwheeled from the attack and caught her opponent's leg,  
  
"Tagga no Kamay!" Like what she did to Yunsung before, she dragged the woman's leg a little. The ninja wouldn't give up right away. She countered Talim's maneuver by pulling the other ninjato. Unlike the first, the ninjato produced a flame. The woman quickly stabbed toward her opponent side. In order to protect herself, the girl had to let her opponent go, while blocking the attack. To her surprise, the woman uppercuts her with the ninjato at her right hand, slashing forward her. She sent a forceful thrust kick to her stomach for the closing. Talim groaned painfully.  
  
"Areku!" At the right moment, Yunsung broke the fight between them. The Korean sent the opponent away before turning to the young girl,  
  
"Talim, are you all right?" She answered, though the pain was quite unbearable,  
  
"Ayos lang ako, Kuya. Only a little injury...malakas siya talaga..." The youth replied,  
  
"You're injured...take a rest first! I'll deal with her!" Talim shook her head, as she forced herself to rise,  
  
"Ayos lang ako. I'm going to help you..." Yunsung merely smiled,  
  
"You're quite stubborn too, ha! Reminds me to Mina..." In no time, both of them went into their stances. Instead attacking them, the woman stood silently and started to speak,  
  
"Have you both lost your mind? I have nothing between both of you..." To this, the red-haired youth answered,  
  
"Then tell me, why are you enter our cot silently if not for the Sword of Salvation?" The woman was stunned, but then she pointed Talim,  
  
"You...what do you know about the thing inside your pouch?" Talim said firmly,   
  
"It is a evil thing, I must return it back to restore the balance..." For a moment, the silence reigned between them. The mysterious woman pulled her breath; before she sheathed her ninjatos back, much to Yunsung and Talim's surprise. She continued,  
  
"Then let me tell you the story behind that thing...but first, put away your weapons first. I promise I won't attack you..." Yunsung shouted back,  
  
"Why should we trust you? How do I know you're not the Japanese agent whom they sent to find the Sword of Salvation?" The black-haired woman spat,  
  
"What happened between your country and mine is not my concern; I believe you must know Hwang Sung Kyung," The mention of Hwang made the youth stunned,  
  
"How do you know him?"  
  
"We once met in a separate occasion..." Yunsung was doubtful, but then he felt that the ninja might know something about Hwang's quest. While he was pondered the options, the Filipino girl has lowered her weapon and turned to him,  
  
"Kuya, sandali. Probably she know something about the fragment that I've got..." The Korean hesitated, however he also lowered his sabre. Slowly, Talim turned to the woman,  
  
"Please, may we know your name?" The woman answered nonchalantly,  
  
"I'm Taki..."   
  
In no time, they had returned to their cot with Taki. The Korean sat upon the bamboo bed, while watching the ninja suspiciously. She returned his stare by giving him a fierce glance. The contest of will between them was broken when Talim asked,  
  
"Excuse me, are you mind if I call you 'Ate'? You're looks older than me, after all, " Taki said,  
  
"Call me as you like. May I see your fragment, please?" The girl poured out her pouch and the fragment fell on the table. Calmly, Taki produced another fragment of her own and also put her lower ninjato on the same table. Suddenly the fragments were reverberated and started to move to each other. At the same time, the ninjato shook violently. Before the larger fragment managed to pull the small one, the ninja quickly put it inside her pocket and turned to Talim.   
  
"So, Talim? What do you know about this?" The girl replied,  
  
"I only know that the fragment once was part of a weapon..." Sighed, Taki continued,  
  
"Soul Edge...it was the part of Soul Edge before..." Talim begged her,  
  
"Tell more about this thing, Ate..." Then the former Fu-Ma ninja began her story,  
  
"Once, there is a legendary weapon that can cut the heavens asunder...the weapon is called Soul Edge, but it also known with other names like 'Key to Eternal Youth', 'Hero's Sword' or 'Sword of Salvation'..." Yunsung was startled but he managed to cover it. He listened to Taki's story attentively,  
  
"Like its name, Soul Edge was indeed a powerful sword, but you cannot hold on to it and your own soul at the same time...Absolute power corrupts, so is Soul Edge to its bearer..." As she told the story, her memories went to the event when she helped Sophitia from Cervantes' wrath,  
  
"The first bearer is Cervantes de Leon, the feared pirate. Soul Edge took his sanity and body, transforming him into a walking dead who lived only to kill..." Talim gasped only, "...but I was succeed to sent him back to where his damned soul would burn in 'jigoku'. Unfortunately, it wasn't the end of Soul Edge..."  
  
"Another soul found the sword and transformed into an abomination called Nightmare the Azure Knight...he even committed more killings than what Cervantes did...until three warriors came and stop his raging madness by breaking the Soul Edge. What happened then, I don't know..."   
  
"But then, I found out that Soul Edge hasn't disappeared for good. Instead, they come in form of these fragments or 'Evil Seeds'. Unwitting people brought them around the world, without realizing the evil power behind these fragments. I believe you'd feel what it looks like..." Talim didn't answer; she remember what she felt when she was eight years old. She couldn't bear the agonizing feeling inside the evil aura at that time. At the same time, the ninja said,  
  
"Nobody could tell what happen if these fragments were reunited again...I sure the evil would return with the greater power..." Ending her story, Taki took the ninjato and told them,  
  
"I have incorporated one of these fragment into Mekki-maru and resulted with the stronger evil aura that anyone could sense..." The young girl nodded,  
  
"You're right, Ate! Your sword has the same aura with the fragment though different..." Without warning, Yunsung said,  
  
"Bullshit, why don't you say that you wanted Soul Edge as well?" Instead angry, Taki replied sarcastically to the red-haired youth,  
  
"I think Hwang is wiser than you thought... I don't want Soul Edge; I just want to pit my Mekki-maru with it so that they could destroy each other," The Korean was silent. She rose up and walked to the window. Before went out, Taki turned again to them,  
  
"You don't know what you're dealing with! I suggest both of you go back to your home...this is no child's play..." Then Talim rose up and said,  
  
"No, if what you said is true, then my resolve has become stronger! I won't let this thing to continue its nefarious works..." She turned to the ninja; her eyes looked pleading,  
  
"Come with us, Ate Taki...you can help us..." The pony-tailed woman pondered, until she smiled meaningfully to them,  
  
"Sorry, I don't like to baby-sitting the children like him..." The words instantly got the best of Yunsung, however Taki had disappeared from the sight. The Korean vented his frustration,  
  
"Great, what a nice folktale! It is the last time I've trust the Japanese like her..." Talim protested,  
  
"Kuya, I think she is sincere...if she wanted, she could kill us during the fight! Yet, she didn't do that..." Then the red-haired youth held her shoulder and explained like a elder brother to his sister,  
  
"Talim, you're too young to understand all...not all people can be trusted..." The young girl was silent, pondering the statement. The Korean went to his bed again. The girl immediately tried to say,  
  
"Pero..."She saw Yunsung already slept on the bed, snoring loudly. She didn't mind with that; she could sleep on the floor. Yet she couldn't banish the ninja's story about Soul Edge.   
  
On the top of the Buddhist temple, Taki stared the ground below. The festive hasn't over yet, but that wasn't disturbing her minds. She still thinking of Talim's offer.   
  
The girl reminds me of you, Sophitia...she and the Korean boy are determined to find Soul Edge. Must I help them or not? The blond-haired Greek woman filled her mind, she couldn't forget the moment she helped her from certain death and thus reawakened something inside her...  
  
However, she has something pressed at hand. Her former master, Toki undoubtedly had several fragments in his possession; he must be stopped at once. At the same time, she couldn't let those youths to wander alone...they didn't know what Soul Edge is capable to do. She turned to the sky, hoping Sophitia Alexandra could give her an answer,  
  
Where are you, Sophitia? Answer me...Deep inside; she knew the answer could be found inside her.   
  
The night breeze passed slowly  
  
  
  
In the border between Hungary and Bulgaria, something terrible happened at the small village. The people were running away from...the giant who wielded a huge axe. The giant wore a purple horned hood and pants. The thorny spikes came out from his shoulders. With a single sweep, he mowed five peoples like mowing the grasses. Blood and body parts splattered everywhere. Lifting his blood stained axe, the giant thudded his chest and shouted,  
  
"Destroy all!" Then Astaroth turned to another terrified people and charged them with huge steps, while swing the Kulutues,  
  
"Begone, you scum! Don't move... I'll bury you!!" The screams and shriek was heard everywhere. The flames licked the houses around them; it also reflected the silhouette as the golem killed people around him, even hacked those who had begged to be spared.  
  
At another place, Nightmare stabbed his victim with Soul Edge and then shoved him away. The crushed, bloodied bodies piled before him. The crimson eyes watched the carnage with pleasure. He shouted aloud, while lifting his deformed right hand on the sky.   
  
"Souls, give me strength!" The crackles were crept around the bulky hand. The knight shouted again, this time with desperation,  
  
"I still need more souls! More, need more souls!" He scanned his surrounding out from his visor; nobody alive around him. Then someone called him,  
  
"You're pretty reckless, I think..." Startled, Nightmare turned around and saw a blond-haired man standing not far from him. He was amused to find that the man didn't afraid of him at all. He cackled with a hideous hiss,  
  
"Fool! Do you not know Death when you see it?" Instead, the man gave a salute,  
  
"Allow me to entertain you! My name is Raphael Sorel...and I'll be the one who beat you, Nightmare!" Nightmare laughed again,   
  
"Fascinating...I never see someone so willingly offer his soul to be my boon! At least, I know your name, Raphael. The thousands who will follow you will be as anonymous as cattle..." Raphael didn't answer; his face was darkened. The Frenchman pulled his rapier slowly from its scabbard and pointed it to his opponent, while taking the fencing stance. The left hand sometimes hung freely or held his left hip, and then he said gently,  
  
"To be honest, I'm irritated...well then, let us dance!En Garde!" The azure knight lifted Soul Edge and brought it to the dark skies with both hands; he roared with all his lungs,  
  
"Blood, darkness, come unto me!" The lightning crackled thrice as the accursed blade glowed with an eerie purple sheen. Its eyes throbbed uncontrollably. His body instantly shook violently, as he charged his power, the knight stared his opponent with a murderous look,  
  
"I will show you the greatest nightmare!" After finished his word, Nightmare whirled his sword like it was a staff toward Raphael and spun his body before sending a huge horizontal slash. Sensing the danger, the Frenchman evaded the attack swiftly. He moved to his opponent's side and waved Flambert with quick precision. The knight swung Soul Edge to block the attack, and then moved to grab him. But Raphael distanced himself swiftly and taunted,   
  
"I believe this is going to be a waste of time..." This time, he performed a wide slash toward Nightmare. The knight parried the attack, only to found out the opponent moved to another side and sent a multiple stabbage to him. Roared, he slashed vertically twice,  
  
"Mail Splitter!!" The ground cracked as the attack passed over, but once again Raphael was untouched. Impatient, Nightmare sidestepped his opponent and delivered a crushing vertical slash  
  
"RHAAAAH!! Rook Splitter!!" The French quickly countered the attack with his own stance: swung his rapier forward and thrust toward the opponent's midsection. The knight was taken by surprise, thus canceling his attack. After a minute, it was clear that Nightmare's bulk has cumbered his attack. He couldn't able to counter his swift opponent. Like a serpent, the Frenchman attacked the weak points with clear precision. Elated with the situation, Raphael taunted again,  
  
"I would love to stay still, but you're so musclebound and slow that I just can't help dodging..." Furious with the mocking, Nightmare roared again,  
  
"AGHHH! Annihilate! Sword, give me strength!" Learned his mistakes, Nightmare took a careful stance this time. Yet, it didn't unnerve Raphael until he tripped the sprawling body behind him. He exclaimed,  
  
"Sapristi! Damn you!" This was the chance that Nightmare waited for! When the opponent fell backward, he landed the punch with his deformed right hand to the face,  
  
"Jade Crusher!" The French instantly flew very far, far from their fighting site and landed on the haystack. Rubbed his bleeding lips, he tried to clear his head. To his horror, Flambert was lying quite a distance from him. Before he could rose up, the azure knight stood in front of him. The crimson eyes stared him with such hunger. Nightmare hissed victoriously,  
  
"This is the end!" Realizing there's no way out, Raphael sighed with resignation. He was ready to accept his fate and stared the knight, who lifted his sword above,  
  
I'm sorry, Amy...I can't fulfill my promise to you... Silently, he closed his eyes.  
  
Before Nightmare could finish his opponent, suddenly a loud voice echoed inside his head,  
  
Resist the evil influence!! Then a painful sensation stung his head. He thrust Soul Edge violently...to the ground almost close to the Frenchman's groin. Raphael frightened out of his wits with the reaction, luckily he moved faster before the knight stroke. To his surprise, Nightmare was holding his helmet and rolled in agonizing pain. He even banged his head on the ground, trying to relieve himself.   
  
What happened to him? Is he all right? The blond-haired man watched the knight carefully, but then his attention was turned upon the sword that he had looked for,  
  
Soul Edge...it is in front of me! Right on my eye! If I could take it... While Nightmare still busy, the French moved slowly and tried to reach Soul Edge. But then the huge stomp came and Astaroth came to his sight.  
  
The golem saw Nightmare groveled in pain, while Soul Edge was impaled on the ground. Once again, the harsh voice came to his head,  
  
"Astaroth, take Soul Edge and bring it to me! Take Soul Edge and bring it to ME!!" He nodded and started to move closer. To his surprise and Raphael's, the azure knight had recovered himself and quickly took the sword out from the ground. For a while, nobody spoke. Nightmare turned to the golem,  
  
"Astaroth, let's go! This place doesn't have what we're looking for..." The giant gestured to the Frenchman,  
  
"How's this? Shall I kill him?" The knight snorted disgustedly,  
  
"Forget him...he's pathetic..." Astaroth stared Raphael without any expression, however he left him immediately. Though feel insulted inside, Raphael pondered something,  
  
So that is...the azure knight is weakening...probably I can gain some advantage from him...  
  
Not far from the village, Nightmare and Astaroth heard someone calling. It was the Frenchman whom he fought before. They stared eye to eye until the azure knight asked with disdain,  
  
"What's the matter?! Do you want to die that badly?" Then Raphael did something unthinkable; he knelt before Nightmare and said, while crossing his rapier on the chest,  
  
"Great knight, let me serve you..." Astaroth growled,  
  
"I will grind you to death!" However, Nightmare stopped him with Soul Edge. Sensed something amiss, he asked the French again,  
  
"Why do you want to serve me?" Raphael continued,  
  
"I was blind awhile ago; I don't recognize your strength. What is my mettle compared with you, Sir?" The knight answered coldly, as he lifted his sword,  
  
"The only way to serve me is...die..." Yet, the former noble was quick to say,  
  
"Sir, I will show you the place where you can feed Soul Edge with the strong souls...I know the place!" The words stirred Nightmare, and he lowered his sword slowly. Then he inquired again,  
  
"Are you sure with that? Are you not lying?" Realized his chance, Raphael groveled to the ground, begging,  
  
"I swear that what I say is true! I'll bring you to my place, Sir Nightmare! I won't ask you anything except to spare my life and my household! ..." The golem said,  
  
"Shut up and die, vile creature! I'll take your soul!" Before Astaroth swung his axe toward Raphael, Nightmare blocked it with such force that made the hulking golem almost stumbled backward. When the giant was furious, the knight gave him a dark, sidelong glance,  
  
"Stop it, Astaroth! It is me who decide someone must die or not...and I have decided to spare his life!!" They stared each other momentarily, and Astaroth gave in to the decision, though he didn't like it. Nightmare turned to the Frenchman and held his chin with the right hand,  
  
"If you can bring the strong souls to satisfy the hunger of Soul Edge, I won't only spare your life...but the people around you too. But if you are lying..." They glanced to the golem nearby,  
  
"Astaroth and I won't be so merciful, understood?" Raphael nodded nervously, though his clothes were wet with cold sweats. When the knight departed, Astaroth stared him with utter disgust, saying,  
  
"I'm not going to go easy on you!" As the golem followed Nightmare, Raphael allowed himself a tiny smile,  
  
This is all according to my play now. If you can't get Soul Edge, at least you can use its bearer...and I shall secure Amy's future with his help...  
  
Above the hill, Spawn watched what transpired below. Though the face was covered, he frowned to what he saw,  
  
I have to admit the French's cunning...so the Soul Edge is with the knight named Nightmare...confronting him right now isn't a wise decision. I have to plan it carefully...and strike at the right moment! Then he disappeared beneath his blood red cloak...  
  
Faraway, someone else noticed the surge of evil energy. Cervantes has anticipated that when he saw the purple lightning cracked on the sky. He said to his Soul Edge,  
  
"My dear, did you see that? That means we were close with the thief..." Slowly, the pirate smiled maliciously,  
  
"That will have to wait first...for a mean time, we have a company..." When he turned back, someone came out from the dark. It was a lizard-like creature. Its greenish gold scales glittered faintly, as it moved along its body. The frills on its head ruffled warily. The creature held a short sword and a crude shield with sign of its track on it. The slit-like eyes fixated upon Cervantes, while it assumed the fighting stance. Yet, the undead pirate disdained it. The creature spoke with gargled and hissed voice,  
  
"Destroy...Soul Edge...must destroy..." Cervantes looked unimpressed,  
  
"Destroy me? I don't think you can do that, wretched creature..."  
  
"I...must...destroy...I'm...Aeon Calcos...must...destroy...Soul...Edge..." The pirate chuckled, but then he pulled out the Nirvana and spread his hands,  
  
"It is amusing to know that the skulking reptile like you has a name...oh, well! I will crush you!" Lizardman screeched with intangible language and attacked Cervantes instantly, while his opponent moved with unnatural speed. The pirate slashed Nirvana horizontally, followed with a vertical slash from Soul Edge,  
  
"Pirate's Cross!"  
  
Blood stained the ground around them...  
  
  
  
Next day at Canton,  
  
As usual, the harbor city was filled with hustle-bustle. The labors carried the precious commodities tirelessly from the ships, while the passengers went back and fro from the ships. The merchants shouted aloud, offering their merchandise to the would-be buyers. Among the crowd, Kilik and Xianghua walked around to find the ship going to India. This time, the young man wore a yellow, feathered cloth and black trousers. His companion wore a red mini-skirted costume with a red band and shoes. The girl asked him,  
  
"Kilik, what are you doing after returned from Europe?" He replied,  
  
"I'm perfecting my technique...since Dvapara-yuga has been broken, I must find the other way to purify my body and at the same time, make amends for my past sins, " Xianghua nodded, and then she said,  
  
"Your Majesty is surprised to find out I'm resigned from my duty, but then I says that it will send the good precedent while I try to find whereabouts of the Hero's Sword..."  
  
"Did he believe you?" The Chinese girl smiled only,  
  
"Who cares? At least, we're together again...like the old times, right?" Kilik paid her with a gentle smile. He stared Xianghua's sword carefully and said,  
  
"I thought you're lost your sword..." Realized that, Xianghua explained,  
  
"Yes, but then an old man gives me this sword as a replacement...not so good like my Krita-Yuga, but anyway, it is very useful..."   
  
"Are you still playing in the dancing troupe?" The girl sighed,  
  
"Not so much, especially after Your Majesty stripped my rank four years ago. Even so, I still practice my moves. Perhaps I will show you when we have a chance..." Suddenly Kilik stopped dead at his track.   
  
"Kilik, what is it?" He didn't answer as he stared a familiar figure not far from them. It was a blond-haired man with hair jutted in front of him. He was bare-chested and has an athletic body, but wore the orange sash across his body and a green pants with dragon pattern. Xianghua couldn't believe what she saw. Her lips were shook in astonishment,  
  
"Kilik...is he...oh, my God! I can't believe this! He's still alive! HE'S ALIVE!!" Then she ran toward the man without even waiting Kilik who followed her from behind. The girl called,  
  
"Maxi! Maxi! Wait for us!!" At first, the man ignored the call. Then she came closer and hugged him, while saying,  
  
"Maxi, is that really you? I can't believe this! We think that you're dead already..." The man was stunned with her outburst. Then Kilik came and greeted, tapping his shoulder lightly,  
  
"Maxi! It is a long time indeed! Where have you been?" Xianghua followed,  
  
"Tell us, what are you going four years ago? I can't wait to hear your story..." Instead glad, the man asked with an irritated tone,  
  
"Who the hell are you? Am I knowing both of you?" Instantly, everything was falling into a deafening silence. Ignored them, the man answered,  
  
"Yes, my name is Maxi, but I don't remember of having friends like you..." Kilik and Xianghua was facefaulted instantly with the big sweat drops behind their heads. They felt like drowsed with the cold water. Disbelieved, the girl took his shoulder, asking  
  
"Is this a joke, Maxi? You really don't remember us? We're once going together, remember?" Maxi said impatiently, brushing her away  
  
  
  
"Look, I don't have time for this joke! I really don't know who you are. Excuse me; I have something important to do! Good day!" Then he left them alone. Xianghua turned to her companion with a confused look,  
  
"What's going on, Kilik? Why doesn't he remember us?" Kilik replied absent-mindedly,  
  
"I have no idea...I think it is better to follow him,"   
  
At the harbor, Mitsurugi, Heihachi and Yoshimitsu were looking the ship that could carry them to Europe. Alas, there were no vacant ships. What made Mitsurugi irritated wasn't the fact that they couldn't get the vacant place, but it was Heihachi's condescending attitude that always put him in odds. He always complained to not get the executive class seat and room. Now they sat around the cargos. The ronin glared to Heihachi,  
  
"See, are you happy now? There is no ship that willing to carry us! No thanks to you!" The president of Mishima Company ignored him. Then Mitsurugi said with dejected look,  
  
"It seems we'll stuck here for good, ninja!" The Manji didn't answered; instead he watched the boxes around him, especially the one that carried into the lower dock of ship. The boxes were so large; even it could include a man inside. Then he said,  
  
"There's another way to go, even though not as the passengers..." Mitsurugi and Heihachi stared him with disbelief.  
  
Meanwhile, Maxi took the secluded street around. He had to doing that to avoid the strange people that claimed to be his friends. He laughed such thought inside. His smile was disappeared when he saw a young man blocked his way with a red rod. Turning around, he saw the same girl behind him. He has no place to run! Throwing his sack, he pulled the Soryujuu and held it with his right arm over the shoulder, while holding the other end with his left at the right armpit. He said as he readied his stance,  
  
"You want a piece of me? Fine, let's go and you're gonna regret it! WAAAAACHAAA!" Instead attacking him, Kilik put over his rod and said,  
  
"Wait, sir...we don't want to fight with you! Forgive us awhile! You're...looks like our late friend. I'm apologizes for our rudeness..." Yet, the pirate didn't relax his guard. He still gripped the nunchaku tightly. Then the young man continued,  
  
"May I know what brings you here?" Maxi said warily,  
  
"I have something to settle with a monster called Astaroth! He has murdered my crews four years ago, including my sworn brother Kyam! Therefore I must avenge them!" A light dawned then, bright and clear and sudden in Kilik's mind. It seemed Maxi didn't forget his past entirely. He went closer, while putting away the Kali-Yuga. He said with a persuasive manner,  
  
" Then we have the same objective. The same monster has murdered our friend as well...why not we join together? Is it better to have a company rather than going solo?" Maxi pondered the offer; it wasn't too bad, but then his vengeance was personal. Why should he involve the strangers to his own business? Xianghua watched both of them nervously. She breathed in relief when the pirate relaxed his stance and offered his hand to Kilik.   
  
"The enemies of Astaroth is also my friends...welcome, friend! Your name is..." Kilik shook hands warmly and said,  
  
"Kilik! And the girl behind is Xianghua..." The Chinese girl went closer and said,  
  
"I'm sorry for my outburst...I promise it won't happen again!" Maxi let a hearty laugh,  
  
"That's all right! I understood how it is feel to lose someone close...anyway, let's go! We must find the ship toward India..." The former pirate took his lying sack, while Xianghua whispered to Kilik,  
  
"Kilik, are you sure to do this? I don't like pretending..." The young man explained,  
  
"Xianghua, I think Maxi has suffered a memory loss... I don't know how he got it, but I sure that he still remember something about us inside. For now, we simply are repeating the time when we meet him for the first time. We'll help him slowly to remember his past...don't give up!" Upon this, she replied,  
  
"As usual, you always know what you are doing...all right, I follow your advice!" Then Maxi called them,  
  
"Hurry up, we'll be left behind..." As they went to the street, the girl commented,  
  
"You're right...just like the old times..." Both of them smiled, while following their friend who didn't remember them at all...  
  
Author's note: Phew, I'm finishing this after my first exams! If the story is not like what you wanted, please bear with me. Reviews (and flames!) are welcomed. The next chapter will have some surprises like this one. Wait 'The Company of Three'. See you around!  
  
  
  
Glossary:  
  
Filipino:  
  
Kuya (call for eldest brother)  
  
Bahala na (it's up to you/suit yourself)  
  
Ano' ba (what's going on?)  
  
Nakupo (panicked expression)  
  
Kalimutan mo'na ako? (have you forgotten me?)  
  
Areku (Ouch)  
  
Ayos lang ako (I'm okay)  
  
malakas siya talaga (she's really strong)  
  
sandali (Wait a minute)  
  
Ate(call for eldest sister)  
  
Pero(But...) 


	4. The Company of Three

=The Company of Three=  
  
Late morning at Ayutthaya,   
  
Yunsung and Talim left the inn very early. The Korean looked fresh; it seemed he had slept well. In other hand, the young girl looked sleepy. She rubbed her eyes to keep awake. The youth asked,  
  
"Talim, how are you?" The girl yawned,  
  
"Medyo ngantok ako...you took my bed..." Yunsung answered innocently, while stretching his limbs,  
  
"Sorry...I was very tired after fighting last night..." As they walked to the nearest intersection, Talim commented,  
  
"Sayang, Ate Taki doesn't want to go with us..." The Korean brushed the conversation,  
  
"Aah, forget her! She has her own business anyway..." Then he stopped at the crossroad,   
  
"Let's see where is the direction to India...perhaps I'll ask someone first..." The girl watched him incredulously,  
  
"I thought you already know the way..." The youth scratched his head,  
  
"Well, it is my first time to going out from Choson Peninsula...I only remember Hwang's route..."  
  
"Why don't you ask me?" They turned around and saw the ninja leaned at the direction sign. She folded her hand on the chest, while leaning on the wooden sign. Talim looked glad, while Yunsung only smug. The Filipino said,  
  
"Ate, you're here...I thought you don't want to come with us," Taki smiled in return,  
  
"Just say I've changed my mind...it's no harm to help young people like you..." However, the Korean asked her with suspicion,  
  
"Why are you here?" Unfazed, the ninja answered,  
  
"Outside, many people wanted the fragments for their own intention...she won't be able to protect it alone, much more with you!" She went closer and added,  
  
"Beside, the people who were looking after the fragments of Soul Edge, are looking for me too. Together, we can protect each other backs..." The red-haired youth snorted in disgust,  
  
"Thanks, but we don't need your assistance..." Taki didn't buy that; instead she challenged him,  
  
"Ah, really? Then tell me, which way to go to India? Can you tell me that?" Yunsung was speechless; he fidgeted his fingers. He really didn't know which way that Hwang took. Not only that, he was forget to take Hwang's maps and notes. The silence was disturbing, but made everything clear. Shaking her head, the ninja said mockingly,  
  
"Oh, silly boy...I really wonder what you're going to do if I'm not around. Follow me, I know the place..." Talim asked,  
  
"Where are we going, Ate?" The pony-tailed woman answered,  
  
"I'm going to show our means of transportation to India..."  
  
Few hours later, they sat upon the back of the elephant. The great pachyderm passed the thick shrubs and trees calmly. A mahout sat on its head, sometimes tapped its skin gently to direct the beast. Talim was excited as she watched the surrounding atop the elephant. Behind her, Taki sat in meditating position, while Yunsung tried hard to keep sitting. The Korean was wobbly back and fro, like a swaying ship. He complained,  
  
"Why don't we choose horses or anything else than this behemoth?" The ninja answered calmly,  
  
"The elephant is the best means to pass the jungle, beside people will spot us easily if we picked the common trail," The young girl shouted happily,  
  
"Ang galing talaga ito...gusto ko yun! How about you, Kuya Yunsung?" The red-haired youth replied,  
  
"You call this enjoyable?" Suddenly he fell backward, much to his chagrin. Then Talim asked the ninja,  
  
"Ate, when will we arrive?"   
  
"If there's no problem, it will take 5 days to arrive at India with this transportation. After then, we'll continue to take colts to pass through Afghanistan. From there, we'll continue our journey through Ottoman Empire and take sea route to Balkan..." After settled down with lying, Yunsung followed the question,  
  
"And then..."   
  
"And then, we'll find whereabouts about Soul Edge. It will be easy once we're arrived at Europe..."  
  
"Why don't we take sea route from India?" Taki turned to them with a serious stare,  
  
"Too risky, I don't want to invite too much attention...that's why I take this trail." She stared again to the skies above her,  
  
"This might take 2 1/2 months to arrive at Europe..." The Korean didn't ask anymore, while Talim still enjoyed the scenery before her. She could felt the soft breeze of winds,  
  
Don't worry Talim, believe in yourself... Wind, guide me.  
  
At the same time in Seung's residence,  
  
"No! No! Mina, how many times I say that you won't going out?" Inside the guest room, an elderly man with white Korean traditional costume sat on the chair. Seung Mina stood not far from him; she now braided her hair at the back, while wearing her usual tribal costume. The girl begged,  
  
"But, Father! I just want to bring Yunsung and the White Storm back! Beside there's nothing I can do here..." Han Myoung stared her only daughter with concern, and said,  
  
"The situation is not allowing that, Mina! You know that the Japanese have starting to invade us...so the Emperor decided to shut some ports. At the same time, Admiral Lee Shun Shin has positioned the Coastal Defense Guard to block the enemy's movements there...No, I won't allow you to endanger yourself..." Yet, Mina wasn't about to giving up,  
  
"Father, do you remember four years ago? I can guard myself...I've grown up already..."  
  
"Yes, until Hwang dragged you back! My final answer is...no!" Realized that, the girl resorted to another trick. She quickly put a pouted face, while saying,  
  
"Fine then! I won't eat or drink anything until you allowed me to go out!" She turned her back,  
  
"I will lock myself in my room! If anything happens to me, don't blame me!" As Mina went to her room angrily, Master Han Myoung shook her head,  
  
"Had you still alive, my wife...no doubt she would be an obedient daughter..."  
  
Hours passed and the sun was very high. Han Myoung decided to visit her daughter's room. He knocked the door gently,  
  
  
  
"Mina, come out now!" There was no answer. Han Myoung knocked again,  
  
"Mina, let me in. I want to talk with you..." Then a voice came,  
  
"The door is not locked..." Slowly, he pushed the door and entered. Mina sat sulked on her bed, however she had prepared everything including Scarlet Thunder, which lay at the bedside. The master shook his head, before he pulled the nearest chair. For a while, father and daughter didn't talk until Han Myoung took the initiative to start,  
  
"Seung Mina...I do this because I really care you..." She didn't say anything. He sighed then,  
  
"If you were a boy, the situation might be different...however, I realizes that there's no use to lock you or giving you to the unwanted marriage. Probably I might be relieved if I allowed you to go..." Slowly, the Korean girl turned to him,  
  
"Father, are you serious? You will let me go this time?" The elderly master gave a fatherly smile,  
  
"Yes, if I'm not doing that, you'll run away like before...go now! Show what you've learned here to the world!" Excited, Seung Mina hugged her father,  
  
"Thanks, Father! I promise I'll return here with Yunsung!" She quickly took her zanbatou and sack, before going out from the room. Han Myoung followed her until outside. As he watched her daughter, something snuck to his mind,  
  
"Strange, why do I feel something wrong?" His mind raced quickly until it dawned inside him,  
  
She's not only after Yunsung! She's looking after the Sword of Salvation too! He bellowed very loud,  
  
"MINA!!!" However, Seung Mina had disappeared from his sight. It seemed she had figured it out in advance. Han Myoung shook his head in amazement, while laughed inside,  
  
"You're little trickster..." But he was proud to have such daughter like Mina,  
  
"Go, Mina...find your destiny outside..."  
  
Late afternoon at Romania,   
  
Cassandra has walked quite far from Athens, but there was no clue about Soul Edge. The fragment inside her pocket was inert. She wondered whether the fragments were around. But she managed to eavesdrop the rumors about the azure knight who had the weapon called Soul Edge. Driven by the news, Cassandra decided to travel west. Behind her, Nemea Shield strapped tightly, while Omega Sword rested on her right hip. She bumped a black-cloaked figure,  
  
"Oh, I sorry..." The Greek girl continued her journey,  
  
When the girl bumped it, Charade had sensed something strange. It felt something...pure and divine, contrary to the essence inside itself! While cloaked in black tunic, the creature was well covered. Nobody suspected it as long as the cloak was covered it. It turned to the blond-haired girl who was quite far. No doubt, the pure aura came out from her. As long as she's alive, Charade's existence would be imperiled. The divine aura of Hephaestus was its bane! The girl must be eliminated with all costs! The creature began to tail Cassandra. Suddenly the religious procession passed between them. Charade was bewildered, but it was unable to do anything until the procession finished. Once the procession was over, the Greek girl has gone! It couldn't find her track! However, something else had attracted its attention. A band of Russian warriors went to its direction and they had the fragments...the girl could wait, but it wouldn't forget her...  
  
At the same time in Athena,  
  
Sophitia Alexandra packed her belongings, yet her heart was heavy to doing this. She turned to the sleeping children; they were looked feverish. She knew what caused the illness to her beloved ones and she would take care that once and for all. Then a brown-haired man entered the room, his face looked anxious as he asked her,  
  
"Are you leaving now, Sophitia?" The blond-haired woman turned to him,  
  
"I wish I had a choice, Rothion... I can't stand here only, while watching our children suffers!" The blacksmith didn't say anything; instead he went to children and touched their cheek,  
  
  
  
"The fever won't going down...Sophitia, I hate to allow you doing this. It is supposedly my job..." Sophitia replied,  
  
"No, Rothion! Pyrrha and Patroklos needs you now," She sighed, "Cassandra already gone with Omega Sword and Nemea Shield, no doubt that she's looking for the damned blade as well..."  
  
"She's doing that because she doesn't want to lose you..."  
  
"That's why I have to go! If not, we're going to lose everything to Soul Edge and that, I cannot allow! I must go now..." As she started to leave, Rothion called her,  
  
"Wait, Sophitia! I have something for you..." He turned to the nearest shelves and took something wrapped with tunic. When he opened the tunic, the Greek woman couldn't hold her surprise,  
  
"That..." Rothion showed him another short sword and small shield. He explained,  
  
"After Casandra disappeared, a voice told me about your holy mission in my dream. I plead to replace you, but I was refused. Instead, it instructed me to find the holy ore and make these weapons to replace the one that Cassandra took..." Sophitia went closer to him and touched the new set of Omega Sword and Elk Shield. The blacksmith stared his beloved wife adoringly like staring a goddess,  
  
"Probably, this is not superior than the original one, but one thing I want you to know, Sophitia...they are embodiment of my love to you. Whenever you go, I always be with you and protect you..." Unable to hold her emotion, she hugged and kissed him. Rothion returned the kiss passionately. In between the kisses, Sophitia said,  
  
"By Hephaestus' name, I swear I will be back with Cassandra, Rothion..."  
  
"I believe you...and I love you, darling!"  
  
"Me too..."  
  
Two weeks later on the Indian Ocean,  
  
The merchant ship rocked gently upon the waves, as the seagulls flew over it. The sun shone brightly on top of Maxi. He sat on the deck, while staring the blue ocean. He already switched his costume with white blazer and pants. The wind strokes his jutted black hair like a lover's touch. However, the pirate looked serious. Then someone greeted,  
  
"Good morning..." Maxi turned and saw Kilik and Xianghua nearby. The girl greeted him with her smile,  
  
  
  
"Hi, Maxi! How are you...?" The pirate replied absentmindedly,  
  
"If you ask me, I'm fine..." The young man went closer to him, and said with sympathy,  
  
"Still thinking your departed one?" Maxi sighed,  
  
"They are the part of my life, when I'd decided to be an adventurer...a pirate. They're almost like my family in Ryukyu...especially Kyam..." Xianghua listened to him,  
  
"We've trailed everywhere and sharing fun together! Have you imagined having someone to share everything with, Kilik?" Kilik shook his head, unable to answer the question. He has been orphaned since birth, and then raised by the monks of the Ling-Sheng-Su Temple. There he came to know Xianglian, his sworn sister. When the Evil Seed rained the temple, he was forced to kill those whom he loved in order to defend himself, including Xianglian. Before madness took her, she managed to put Dvapara-Yuga on him. At the end, he found himself standing among the corpses. What broke his heart into pieces was her lifeless body in front of him. Kilik was sure that he would kill himself out of remorse, if Edge Master didn't come to the temple. The old warrior decided to make the temple as a funeral pyre. As the smoke billowed from the burned temple and fire consumed those who had died inside, Kilik swore with his late sister's name that he would make amends for his sins...by destroying Soul Edge.   
  
He turned to the pirate and pondered that their life weren't so different after all. He and Maxi both lost their loved ones. Then the pirate's angry words took him back,  
  
"Everything's fine until that unnatural freak took their lives...I won't forget the day when Astaroth took everything I loved dearly from me!" Maxi gritted his teeth,  
  
"I swear I will end the freak's life for good!! By then, I would be satisfied..." The young man didn't answer. Maxi was lucky; he knew the murderer of his crew...but him? Could he avenge Xianglian's death after knowing that he was the one who was responsible for her death? Was it meant that he had to kill himself? He immediately banished such thought from his mind,  
  
Never! Had I killed myself, Xianglian has died for nothing! She wants me to live...Edge Master told me that suicide wouldn't solve anything! I must live! I have to live to prevent the same tragedy befall to others...  
  
He spoke up, "Maxi, I understood your anger, however there's more important things than vengeance...have you think that before?" The pirate startled with his words, however he didn't contest him.   
  
"Strange that you mentions it now, somehow I remember something else...but yet I can't recall it...it seems very vague..." Suddenly, Xianghua's face brightened and she instantly went closer,  
  
"Yes, Maxi! Tell us..." The pirate thought harder; he tried to dig his mind deeper. Kilik watched intensely until a grumbling sound came. Holding his stomach, Maxi smiled sheepishly to them,  
  
"I just remember I haven't taken breakfast this morning..." Kilik and Xianghua drooped their head after heard the revelation. The pirate said,  
  
"Come, I'm going first..." After he left them, the Chinese girl shook her head,  
  
"Well, here's old Maxi, unaware of our presence..." The young man replied,  
  
"Take patience, Xiang. It must be hard to not remember whom his friends are...he will remember later once we've arrived at Europe. Once he saw Osthreinsburg Castle, I hope his memories will be restored..." Then he went to the hull of the ship, followed by Xianghua. Suddenly she asked him,  
  
"I have a question, Kilik. Have you loved someone before?" Her question took him by surprise. Yet, he answered,  
  
"No, why do you ask that?" The former Imperial Guard pondered, before asking him again,  
  
"What do you think of me? Am I beautiful?" Kilik was surprised, however he asked her back,  
  
"Xianghua, what is the matter? I never see you like this..." She sighed,  
  
"Kilik, I simply wondering why nobody take me seriously...since my mother's death, I buried myself in training. Even so, it is fail to keep my desire to be loved." Xianghua turned to the blue ocean,  
  
"That's another reason why I resigned myself from Imperial Guard...even the warrior wants to be loved...is it wrong to be loved, Kilik?" Slowly, he held her shoulders and said gently,  
  
"No, Xiang...you don't do anything wrong. Sometimes we simply forgotten how to love someone...it has nothing to do with the outward appearance. It is simply coming from inside...inside our hearts," Without warning, Xianghua hugged him and caressed his chest. As the girl hugged upon him, the memories came back to him and it pained him deeply. Somehow Xianghua's face transformed into Xianglian's dying face in his sight. Unconsciously, he distanced himself from her. The girl was surprised with the action.  
  
"What's wrong, Kilik? Did I hurt you?" Kilik shook his head, but he was unable to stare at her,  
  
"No...I'm sorry, Xianghua...Would you excuse me?" Then he left the girl who watched him with a dejected look. She asked herself,  
  
Why, Kilik? Why do you holding back yourself? What are you afraid of? The ocean was silent, as Xianghua turned back to the cabin.  
  
Below the deck of the same ship, Mitsurugi and Yoshimitsu had taken some ration from the nearby cargo. They managed to sneak inside the ship through the cargo boxes. Once inside, they took the most secluded place. While they started to eat, Heihachi snorted disgustedly,  
  
"Ridiculous! Mishima Heihachi has to sneak inside the ship like a rat? It is very humiliating!" The ronin laughed,  
  
"Well, if you were cooperative since beginning, we don't have to act like the stowaways..." Then he offered a salted fish to Heihachi,  
  
"Here is a food for you. Do you want some for you?" The patriarch turned his head haughtily, ignoring the offer. The ninja took a black lacquered box and opened it; it has contained kinds of sushi. He commented,  
  
"Luckily, I managed to bring something before I left Japan..." Mitsurugi didn't answer; he simply took some sushi and gulped it immediately. He quipped,  
  
"Too bad, there's no wine around here..." However, the masked ninja took a jug of wine behind him, as he chuckled loosely,  
  
"Funny, you should mention that," Heihachi couldn't help himself to watch his companions ate. Finally he went closer and sat. The ronin joked,  
  
"Changing your mind?" Heihachi barked impatiently,  
  
"Shut up! Give me the wine and the sushi!" Yoshimitsu put the jug and the box close to the champion of the Iron Fist Tournament in the future , who ate and drank greedily. The critters inside watched them without blinking...  
  
At the same time on France,  
  
The mansion was very huge and designed with an astonishing luxury. It was two-store tall and two wings at both sides. The front was facing the beautiful garden. The gardener tended the garden regularly, while the servants took care the mansion. The iron gates stood open, as the walls circled its premises. Then someone entered the gate calmly. Everyone took notice of the person, but they were astonished then. A cheer came them,  
  
"Monsieur Berthine has returned! Monsieur has returned!!" Everyone inside came out to greet the guest who had returned. As the people gathered around him, Raphael merely smiled or waved back. Not for long, an old, bearded man came to him. He wore a black coat, like what the butlers wore. He said,  
  
  
  
"Monsieur...it has been a long time since you've left us! We're glad that you've finally return here..." Dismounted himself from the horse, Raphael replied,  
  
"Well, I have something pressing, Lumiere...how is the situation?" The butler nodded understandingly. As the young master walked toward the door, he turned again,  
  
"By the way, where is Amy?" Lumiere gestured him to turn around and an auburn-haired girl stood behind. She wore the plain blue clothing and tried her best to look happy, but then her eyes were betraying her. Then Raphael went closer and took her gladly,  
  
"My little mademoiselle, Amy...how are you?" The girl asked him instead,  
  
"Why do you leave me, Papa? I thought you wouldn't leave me..." The blond-haired man was silent, yet Amy asked again,  
  
"Did I do something that makes you angry, Papa?" He replied softly,  
  
"No, Amy...Papa doesn't angry with you. Papa have something important...for you; that's why Papa go temporarily..." The girl hugged him, pleading,  
  
"Please, don't leave Amy again, Papa..." Raphael patted her shoulder gently; he couldn't say that he was looking for Soul Edge only for her. At the same time, another guest entered. It was a dirty brown-cloaked man who rode a huge black horse. The horse snorted, while the blood-red eyes glowed. Since the cloak has covered him, anyone couldn't see the man's face. Instantly, the situation turned uncomfortable. Raphael became serious as he saw the mysterious person. Lumiere watched him nervously. As everyone wondered, the French announced,  
  
"Listen, all of you! Here is my friend, Monsieur Soir...I met him during my journey. Since nobody cared him, I decided to invite him stay in the mansion for a while..." A murmur came among the people, yet Raphael continued,  
  
"Since he has an incurable illness, I'll be the one who take care of him and your Lord has given me permission to allow him to stay for a certain time. Nobody allowed to come into Monsieur Soir's room without my permission and nobody tell about him to others, understood?" Everyone nodded as they listened to the instructions. When they dispersed, 'Monsieur Soir' dismounted from his horse and landed with clank on the ground. Raphael gestured him to bring his horse to the stable. The man didn't reply; he simply went to the stable with the horse.  
  
Few minutes later, Raphael brought his mysterious visitor inside the mansion. He showed him the fabulous library inside. The huge windows allowed the sunshine to pour inside, while the shelves of books surrounded the place. The immaculate carpeting covered its floor. Pillars distinguish each area of books. From the library, people could see the ground floor below, close to the front door. Then Raphael gestured the butler to let the curtain fall to cover the windows. After that, he sent him out and turned to Soir. The cloaked figure stared him with...crimson eyes. A hoarse voice came out,  
  
"I have to compliment you for this residence..." The French didn't smile; he said cautiously,  
  
"I hope I have your words about my households..." 'Monsieur Soir' or aptly called Nightmare pulled the nearby chair and sat upon it. The cloak fell and revealed the deformed right hand, which almost dwarfed the chair. The knight lifted his chin, staring his erstwhile ally,  
  
"You have my words...no harm shall come upon them. Now it is your turn to fulfill the promise..." Clearing his throat, Raphael said,  
  
"Tonight, I will bring you to the place where you can feed Soul Edge with strong souls as much as you want..."  
  
  
  
At the hill overlooking the mansion, Astaroth stood stoically, watching the building without any expression...  
  
Meanwhile at the small town near Sarajevo,  
  
Sophitia had walked quite far, however she was clueless to Cassandra's whereabouts. She thought at first, that her sister took the same road that led her to Soul Edge. But then it was soon clear to her that Cassandra might take different path from her. It was the same case of her when she tracked Soul Edge for the first time. As she walked around, her mind went to Rothion and her children. Then something else entered her mind; the image of the black, pony-tailed woman materialized inside. She couldn't forget her, because she owed her life to the woman. Yet, Sophitia shuddered as she remembered when she fought Cervantes in the grueling fight seven years ago. Had the woman didn't helped her, she sure she would surely dead. Instinctively, she sighed,  
  
I wish she were here...  
  
When she passed a tavern, suddenly someone was pushed outside. Sophitia jumped in surprise, when realized the man was landed in front of her. She saw clearly that it wasn't a man, but a young man...or something like that. The man wore a green robe of sorts that cover his entire upper body and a long green elven cap resting on his long blonde hair. His pointy, left ear contains a blue earring. He also wore a rope belt, the brownish boots, with gold trim, and his pants match his green robe. His left hand held a shield, his sword in the other. From the tavern, the raucous taunts came,  
  
  
  
"Get lost, freak! You're not welcome here!!" The young man shouted back,  
  
"Excuuuuse me! I'm not a freak; I am an elf!! Can you differentiate them?" As an answer, the door was closed with loud slam. Sophitia helped him to stand and asked,  
  
"Pardon me, are you all right?" The man complained,  
  
"All right? What else can going wrong today?" He was stunned like a statue, when he saw her. Instantly, he gave a bow,  
  
"Oh, forgive me for my rudeness, princess! I don't mean to..." The Greek smiled,  
  
"It is my first time when someone calls me princess...look, my name is Sophitia Alexandra and you are..." Brushed his blonde hair, the elf answered with certain tone,  
  
"Link of Hyrule... at your service, Princess Sophitia..."   
  
  
  
  
  
Back to France,  
  
As the night fell, the mansion was dark. Yet, Lumiere and some servants carried the lanterns outside; they patiently waited something. Then Raphael came out with his usual costume, only this time he wore a red-feathered hat. His horse has been prepared nearby. He asked the butler casually,  
  
"Is everything ready, Lumiere?" The old butler replied,  
  
"Everything's set, Monsieur...may I know where you are going, Sir?" As he mounted his steed, the former noble answered with a reassuring smile,  
  
"Don't worry, I won't be long..." Meanwhile, Soir/Nightmare had taken his own steed and rode it already. The horse's eye looked blazing in the dark, everyone nearby was shuddered with fear. The knight had put his cloak back; now he stared the French intensely. Before he departed, Raphael turned to the window at the second floor of the right wing and saw Amy standing there. He waved the girl, who returned it blankly. After that, the blond-haired man commanded,  
  
"Open the gate!" Slowly but sure, the iron gates were pulled up, allowing both riders to going out from the mansion. They paced their steed to the nearest hill, where they would meet Astaroth there.  
  
Four hours later, the unholy company has arrived at the grassy hill, overlooking the plain below. The huge tents arranged in orderly fashion, were standing on the plain. The bonfires were alight, as many people surrounded it. They wore the French military uniforms, complete with insignia and emblems. Cannons lined nearby the armaments, while the rifles were lying in stacks. Somehow the people on the encampment were unaware of the presence of the uninvited guests at the nearby hill.  
  
The azure knight turned to the French,   
  
"These are the people that you've promised?" Raphael answered,  
  
"They were coming from the Provincial Regiment, but they also served the pompous noble...Sir, these people are experienced and battle-hardened; I think they were suitable for this..." Nightmare didn't answer, he never fought a company of soldiers before. Somehow it was a challenge for him, but Soul Edge was with him. He would manage. Then he turned to the golem who watched people below with hunger. It was hard for Astaroth to restrain his lust of souls, even for an hour. Had Nightmare didn't stop him, surely he would slaughter Raphael's household like what he usually did. He asked,  
  
"What do you think, Astaroth? Were these people meeting our desire?" The champion of Ares grinned only,  
  
"Amuse me again!" Turning his steed to the plain, Nightmare said to Raphael,  
  
"Stay here, we won't be long there..." The French was too happy to comply. He watched the knight and the golem went down, while keeping his cold smile in check. He was going to enjoy watching the nobles became aware that their lull of security and comfort would be disappeared soon. He was going to enjoy it greatly.  
  
Not for few hours, the encampment was thrown into chaos when Nightmare and Astaroth strikes. The screams and shrieks was heard everywhere,  
  
"Demons! Malheur!!"  
  
"Sapristi! Help me!!"  
  
"Kill him..." Nervously, the soldiers lined themselves and targeted the havoc-wreaking golem with their bayoneted flintlocks. The awaited command came,  
  
"Fire!!" The rifles barked simultaneously, but then the bullets did no harm to Astaroth. The giant laughed gleefully,  
  
  
  
"Don't make me laugh! Do you want to die that badly?" The terrified soldiers scattered, while the rest stood their ground and began to reload their rifles again. Before they had a chance to fire again, Astaroth cut them all with a mighty swipe. He continued to swipe the area around with Kulutues. An unlucky soldier tried to escape, however the crazed golem picked and threw him to the air. As he fell down, Astaroth caught him with the backbreakeresque manner, cracking the soldier's spine with a resounding noise.   
  
"Dead already? Heh, hmm... hehmm!" He continued to kill anyone who still breathed in his path. At the same time, two nervous soldiers went to a lone cannon and pushed it as they could to their desired position. They pointed the cannon to the golem who just picked another victim and threw him airborne before he dangled and stabbed the victim thrice with his axe. One of them quickly took matches and began to light the fuse, while the other put the gunpowder and the projectile inside. Aware of something, Astaroth turned around and saw them with the cannon. The soldier shouted nervously to his companion,  
  
"Quick, the beast has seen us! Hurry up!"   
  
"I'm trying!" Lifting his axe, the golem charged forward to their direction. At that moment, the fuse sizzled with sparks. Their distances were closing rapidly; it was the matter of life and death. Suddenly an exploding sound was heard and the ground in front blew apart with a thick smoke. The eerie silence filled around the place...  
  
Slowly, the soldiers came out and watched the surrounding. There was no sign of the golem. One of them shouted joyfully,  
  
"We did! We kill that bastard!" As they were elated with their apparent success, the dust and smoke subsidized and...revealing Astaroth who simply stunned by the explosion. He didn't suffer any injuries, save the black marks on the body due to the cannon projectile. Slowly, he turned to the soldiers as they stared him with utter terror. The golem roared furiously, while lifted his giant axe very high,  
  
"DEYAAAH! Struggle! Begone! Get out of my sight!" Those poor soldiers could only hug each other and scream as Astaroth swung the weapon violently, cutting them along with the cannon...  
  
In another direction, an army officer ran away from the carnage. He has witnessed the unknown giant ran amok and laid waste the encampment single-handedly. The giant also massacred his best men, along with the recruits. What he wanted now is to escape the nightmare. However, the officer didn't see the azure knight charging toward him with a black stallion. When he did, it was too late. Riding upon his steed, Nightmare stabbed the officer with his Soul Edge Zweihander and lifted him slowly. As his life was drained away, the poor man asked with unabashed horror,  
  
"By God, what are you?" The knight answered with chilling voice,  
  
"I am your death!" Afterward, he sent the body flying away from his blade and turned around to the now-demolished encampment. Deep inside, he believed that Soul Edge was satisfied, even though these people had offered a paltry resistance. He spotted Astaroth in the midst of the carnage, it seemed the golem had satisfied his lust.   
  
That's enough for tonight! There would be another time...He turned to his newly found stallion, Satan and left the place.  
  
  
  
Above, Raphael watched everything below impassively. Eighty soldiers were not a match against the azure knight and the golem. Even the cannon was failed to kill them. He assured himself that he still could in control of both, as long as he gave what they wanted. He knew the place where he could find the soldiers or brigands to feed off them, at least before he brought them to the place where he wanted them...  
  
By then, the nobles should be terrified...let them feel the wrath of Nightmare. Once his job has done, I will have Soul Edge for myself...  
  
The bonfire on the ransacked encampment still burnt...as Astaroth and Nightmare left,  
  
Author's note: Finally, all SC characters from three consoles (except Berserker and Assassin) have been rounded all here! I only know Link from the late ' Legend of Zelda' and I like his attitude when he says 'Excuuuuuuse me, princess..." What do you think of that? Your reviews and suggestions are welcome.   
  
If you noticed, Nightmare had his own steed for the first time. It has been long time Nightmare always walked by foot; so I added Satan as his horse and wondering how he perform his attacks while riding a stallion.  
  
About Kilik and Xianghua, it is just my curiosity...  
  
Berthine is Raphael's alias when he befriended Lumiere's master to acquire means for Amy. I will continue the next chapter, 'The Convergence' after finishing my compre. That's all! See you later!  
  
  
  
Glossary:  
  
Filipino:  
  
Medyo ngantok ako (I'm a little bit sleepy)  
  
Ang galing talaga ito (This is very amazing)  
  
Gusto ko yun (I likes it) 


	5. The Convergence Part I

=The Convergence =  
  
Part I  
  
Two and a half months later, late midnight at the mountainous region of Carpathia, Romania,  
  
Talim shouted, "Magandang gabi po!" Nobody greeted back; instead they ignored her. Yunsung has changed his costume by wearing the blue-green armor and green pants, while Taki still wore her red costume. She warned the girl,  
  
"Be careful, the people around here aren't so friendly to the strangers…" The Korean asked,  
  
"Why is that? Do we look strange?" The former Fu-Ma ninja paused before she continued,  
  
"Not exactly, but people here believe the region once belonged to the powerful prince named Vlad Tepes…" Talim listened to her story attentively, while walking to the keeper. She asked,  
  
"Ate, go on…" Taki merely turned to the keeper, asking,  
  
"Sir, do you have the vacant rooms?" The gray bearded man stared with suspicion, and then he said gruffly,  
  
"Two rooms on the second floor…" He threw the keys to her without turning back,  
  
"Here are the keys…" The ninja took it, while Yunsung commented the attitude,  
  
"Well, I think that is rude…"   
  
"You can't blame them…the fear of nosferatu still strong here…" Now the Filipino girl was confused,  
  
"Ate, what is a nosferatu?" Taki glanced to her,  
  
"Nosferatu means the living dead…we calls it akuma or kyuuketsuki. The people refers it as vampire, a blood-sucking creature…" Talim hushed,  
  
"Parang tiyanak? Meron pa rin dito?"   
  
The red-haired youth shocked with the explanation,  
  
"Then they think we're…how can these people believe the superstitious things like that? I thought you've said that Europe is a civilized continent…" The ninja replied,  
  
"What I've say still stands, but it doesn't mean all Europeans are civilized…there is some place where the ignorance prevails…" When they were close to the upstairs, she added,  
  
"Being civilized isn't mean an excuse to do anything you're pleased…" Talim nodded; she had seen the consequences of the civilization in her country: exploitation and oppression. Then her father's words echoed in her head,  
  
You'll carry our name once outside, so show to them what you are really…  
  
As they went upstairs, a band of tough men passed them. They wore the fur coats and hats. One of them was ogled Taki's curvaceous body, and suddenly slapped her behind in a split second. For a moment, everything looked fine as the men continued to the tavern. However, the ninja stopped and turned to the men with furious and disgusted look. Realizing something wrong, Talim asked,  
  
"Ate, what's wrong?" With calm façade, the pony-tailed woman said to her and Yunsung,   
  
"Both of you go first, I have something to take care…" Yunsung wanted to protest, but her fierce stare made him changing his mind. As they continued to their room, Taki went back to the tavern.  
  
Inside the tavern, the same men were enjoying themselves. They drunk and laughed raucously. The burly man sat at the chair, while his companions made fun with the local women. Then he saw a black, pony-tailed woman stood in front of her. She was smug to her unpleasantly. The man called,  
  
"Hello, dear…are you cares to join us?" Taki stared her unflinchingly, while speak in the firm tone,  
  
"I demand an apologize! You have acted insolently to me and I demand your apologize…" Instantly, everyone was silent. Instead, the man laughed back,  
  
"Oh, that one…well, my answer is…Nyet!" His companions laughed simultaneously. Yet, the ninja continued,  
  
  
  
"You have one minute to apologize or else…" Undaunted, the man rose from his chair. He was slightly taller than the Japanese woman. He stared her like the beast stared its prey. He stated,  
  
"My dear, why should I apologize? Beside, your body is making my blood hot…" He reached to the breast; suddenly Taki kneed his crotch very hard. As the Russian howled in pain, she jumped to his back and propelled very high before she was coming down and crashing him to the floor. The burly man's companions were alarmed and immediately surrounded her, while the people inside ran away. Slowly, the man rose angrily,  
  
"Bolzhemoi, you'll sorry for that…" As the answer, the ninja swiped him at the face, and uppercut him with Rekki-maru. Instead of using her ninjato, she took a bottle and smashed it to his face. Another Russian roared and charged her from behind, but she jumped backward and placed the dull side of Rekki-maru to her opponent's throat. Then she rolled backward, choking the poor man. Enraged, the other tried to grab her. Yet she anticipated that by sent a standing shin kick, followed by an overhead arc kick. She kicked the rest with her spinning kick, throwing them to every direction. At the same time, the burly Russian had brandished a broad sabre with the elevated edge, making it almost like L. He growled,  
  
"B@#$, I will cut your beautiful body into pieces and give them to the wolves outside…" Unimpressed, Taki taunted,  
  
"Don't waste my time, let's go!" As the man swung his weapon, she crouched and sent a low sweep to his legs. When her opponent fell, she caught his neck with her right leg and twisted it forcefully to face him. The Russian became pale as snow when he saw she put her ninjato to his neck. He struggled but unable to move. Taki asked again,  
  
"This is your last chance…apologize or…taste the consequences!" The man shouted nervously,  
  
"You've won! I give up! I apologize for slapping your behind! I apologize!! I meant it!" Satisfied, she threw him crashing the window. The other Russians hurriedly followed their friends outside. Then the ninja went to the frightened bartender and threw the gold coins,  
  
"This is for the repair…I'm terribly sorry for what happened…" As she left, the black-cloaked figure watched what happened in the tavern. Moreover, the strange aura that came from her lower ninjato attracted its attention and it sensed the same yearning feeling…yet it went outside and followed those Russians.  
  
Next morning at Raphael's mansion,  
  
Amy entered the library silently. She pushed the large door slowly and slips inside. The girl looked around and saw someone sat close to the partially curtained window, but she couldn't see the person since the chair turned backward. Then someone called,  
  
"Who is it?" Amy startled, yet she asked politely,  
  
  
  
"Monsieur Soir, did you see Papa? I'm looking for him…" Nightmare replied,  
  
"You must be Raphael's daughter…no, I don't see him…" The voice didn't harsh like usual, but more human. Then the red-haired girl went closer,  
  
"I'm not his real daughter, Papa took me as her daughter…"   
  
"Ah, I see then. He must be the luckiest man…" Then the knight called her,  
  
"Little girl, come closer, so I can see your face…" Before the girl went closer, Raphael shouted loudly,  
  
"Amy!!" The girl surprised and turned to him immediately. He stared her seriously, yet sweat dotted his brows. Then he asked sternly,  
  
"Amy, do I tell you to not enter the library without my permission?" Amy couldn't answer for a while, until she said,  
  
"I can't find you, Papa…that's why I go to the library, I thought you're there…" Feeling sorry, the young master knelt and held the girl's face. Then he spoke gently,  
  
"I'm always here for you…now go to your room. Lumiere will prepare lunch for both of us…" Amy nodded and went outside. After she gone, Nightmare said,  
  
"You don't have to do that, I won't harm her…" The French was unconvinced, yet he decided to divert the subject,  
  
"It seems not like you, Sir…is there anything I can help?" When the knight turned, Raphael was taken aback with what he saw. Nightmare had discarded his azure armor for the first time. Instead a monster, he saw a forlorn-looking youth. His blond hair mixed with reddish strands. The crimson eyes has gone and replaced with the sad blue eyes. While the left portion of his body looked like a normal human, the deformed right arm still remained. Raphael couldn't hold his revulsion when the red eye at the right chest of the man stared him. Everything was silent until Nightmare broke it,  
  
"You're the only one who see my true form…" The French stammered,  
  
"Who…I mean, what are you?" The man who were once called Siegfried Schtauffen sighed heavily,  
  
"I was once a man, like you…until my past sins drives me to find Soul Edge as the only mean for my redemption…" He turned to the accursed sword at his right hand,  
  
"I never dream to be a nightmare to the world…but then the dream becomes real…"  
  
"I'm tired of this endless torture, but I can't stop until Soul Edge is satisfied…what I wanted is to be a human again…" Raphael said sympathetically,  
  
"I don't know that…I thought Astaroth is your only friend…" Nightmare turned to the French with displeasure, gritting his teeth,  
  
"That freak isn't my friend, for your information!! Like the rest, he just want Soul Blade for himself…unlike you, Raphael…" The French was stunned with the statement, as the knight continued,  
  
"You're different… Soul Edge is not your objective. I could have killed you, but then you welcomed me into your house, while nobody wanted me…you are befriended me, while nobody were afraid of me…" Then he turned to the window,  
  
"Once Soul Edge has complete, I shall be whole again…and you have nothing to fear from me. I wished she would understand this…but then…forget it…" Raphael listened to Nightmare's ramblings for a while and then he excused himself for something. Once outside, his mind filled with inner turmoil,  
  
Is this the feared Nightmare? A broken shell? How could I have been so wrong? He…trusted me, while I'm plotting mischief behind his back! He considers me as his friend! Then another voice came,  
  
Steel yourself, Raphael! Is Soul Edge your main objective? Nightmare is pathetic; he doesn't deserve to have Soul Edge anymore! You must dispossess him! The French argued,  
  
No, I won't do that! Deception is one thing, but treachery is another! I won't forfeit my honor by betraying Sir Nightmare…The voice mocked,  
  
You've used him as a weapon against those pompous nobles, what is the difference between you and them? Then what happened if he doesn't want to hold Soul Edge anymore? Will you let it happen? How do you defend yourself once Nightmare has gone? Raphael went to his bedroom, as he struggled deep inside. He threw himself on the bed,  
  
Are you really care of Amy? Will you let her to face uncertainty? Suddenly he tightened his fist, while saying,  
  
"That's right! Amy's welfare and future is my concern! Nightmare doesn't deserve to hold such powerful weapon! I'll be the one in his stead…" A cold smile formed in his lips.  
  
In order to win, I must lose my last shreds of honor…Then Lumiere called him,  
  
"Monsieur Berthine…" The French was startled, yet he managed to control himself and asked the butler,  
  
"What's going on, Lumiere?" The bearded man bowed,  
  
"Monsieur, there is a young girl outside. She says that she's looking for a job here…"  
  
Cassandra watched the mansion with amazement. Not even in Athens, she could see such luxury. Actually the fragment guided her to this place. Though her mind is full with misgivings, the girl decided to give the try. This time, she wore the green jacket with a butterfly knot on her neck, the leather thigh boots and had her short blond hair tied ponytail. She had hidden Nemea Shield and Omega Sword inside her sack. Inside she hoped that the owner of the mansion would accept her. Not for long, she saw a handsome looking man came out from the mansion. His blond hair looked bright and he was so dashing. For a moment, she struck by awe with his appearance until he asked her,  
  
"Mademoiselle, may I know your name, please?" Startled, she quickly introduced herself,  
  
"Bonjour, Monsieur…my name is Cassandra Alexandra and I'm coming from Athens…" The French nodded, before he took her right hand and kissed it gently,  
  
"It is an honor to meet you, Mademoiselle Cassandra…what brings you very far to France?" Blushed, the Greek said,  
  
"Er, I just want to find a work…to help my family in Athens…" Raphael had to admit that the young girl was quite beautiful. Then he took her hands again and said,  
  
"Well, it seems you're used to be to work hard…let's see if we can use your help, Lumiere!" The butler went hurriedly to his master, asking,  
  
"What is it, Monsieur?" The master turned to him,  
  
"Do you think we can spare some help here? Mademoiselle Alexandra will be working here…" Lumiere bowed,  
  
"As you wish, Monsieur," He turned to the Greek girl, "Come this way, Mademoiselle…" Cassandra couldn't let her sight away from Raphael, as Lumiere led her to the servant's quarter. Once away, she watched the place with worry and amazement. The mansion was so large and there were many people around here. She wondered how she could find the Evil Seed here. Silently, she prayed in her heart,  
  
Pallas Athena, please show me the way to find the Soul Edge…At the same time, she smiled mischievously,  
  
…and may Aphrodite and Cupid favor my choice…  
  
  
  
  
  
Meanwhile at the huge chateau not far from Orleans, several nobles gathered around. A corpulent man sat lazily, while leaning to his staff. He wore the greenish coat and brown pants. The fox-faced man with purple coat looked impatient, and he addressed,  
  
"Comte Duc Salle, the mysterious killings had continued for two and a half months and yet the King ignored our pleas…" The corpulent man answered,  
  
"May I remind you, Le Sorel? The King is confident that we can handle this minor problem…" The fox-faced man retorted,  
  
"Minor, you say? Those who killed our soldiers and brigands aren't the ordinary people…tell me, how could they took the well-armed soldiers with ease? The survivors told us that they were impervious to the bullets, even the cannon…" Duc Salle's eye twitched, before he replied back,  
  
"Do you think I'm worry about that? Not only us, the peasants began to afraid as well. The only consolation for them is those murderers don't picked them, only the soldiers and brigands…" It didn't make Marquis Le Sorel felt comfortable, as his fellow nobles looked skeptic. The aged noble continued,  
  
"I have my own solution for that…however, it seems you aren't agree with that! Why? Are you scared with your lost cousin?" Le Sorel gritted his teeth,  
  
"That's not your concern! If the King don't want to send the Royal Army to deal with this matter, let me deal this with my own way!!" After saying so, the Marquis stormed from the hall, accompanied by some people. Duc Salle sighed out, until someone spoke,  
  
"It is pity that Marquis Le Sorel don't want to follow your suggestion… I thought the Sorel Family is well-known with their decisiveness," The voice came from a woman with a purple rosy gown. The gown almost revealed her breast cleavage, while her white hair styled to the usual fashion during the time. She held a purple-feathered fan in front of her face. The French spoke haltingly, trying to control himself as he watched her chest,  
  
"You're probably heard the rumors, my dear…they have internal strife inside, which is common in the nobles. Like in England…" The woman replied,  
  
"That can be settled easily, for now we must concentrate on the knight who wear the azure armor…"  
  
"You're quite perceptive, Countess Valentine! I salute with your resourcefulness," Hearing that, Isabella Valentine folded the fan and offered her usual cold smile to Duc Salle,  
  
"Those who are resourceful are the one who wins a war…"  
  
Three days later, close to border of Germany,  
  
Sophitia sat close to the bonfire, while Link gathered the firewood. They caught a rabbit and a wild fowl, and then roasted them. She stared the elf with curiosity. Being stared like that, Link was uncomfortable,  
  
"Princess Sophitia… why are you staring me?" The Greek woman surprised, yet she asked back,  
  
"Link, may I know why you are here? I never heard the place called Hyrule," The young elf sighed, after he put the firewood into the bonfire. He began his story,  
  
"Hyrule is a different world, not like Europe, my princess. The people there never know war like here, yet the evil does exist. I had fought an evil magician in order to restore peace, only to found out that he wasn't the one who are responsible. The evil sword named Soul Edge, was the real culprit…" Sophitia gasped in shock; she knew what Soul Edge is capable of, but it was beyond her understanding that the accursed sword can affect another world like Link's place as well. The elf continued,  
  
"To ensure the peace, I must go to your world to destroy the Soul Edge, by then the peace shall be restored again…" The blond woman spoke,  
  
"Then our quest is same, Link of Hyrule! To destroy that damned sword for good…" Link didn't respond; instead he expressed his wonder with words,  
  
"That's nice, Princess Sophitia, but I do believe that you're having your own reason to pursue Soul Edge…" Sophitia was silenced with the comment; the elf spoke truthfully. She pursued Soul Edge to save her children who had been afflicted by its evil power and at the same time, finding Cassandra back. It seemed insignificant with Link's objective, but then they were the same. The sword gave nothing but misery and despair; only the pure-hearted warriors realized the only way to help them was destroying the sword. A moment later, Link rose and went to the other direction. Surprised, the Greek asked,  
  
"Link, where are you going?" He answered casually,  
  
"I'm going to catch a wild animal. Don't worry, Princess! I won't be long…"  
  
Once away from Sophitia, the elf sneaked among the bushes silently. It was easy for him, since he always doing that to surprise Zelda. Then he saw a mysterious figure not far from their place. Stepped lightly on the ground, he went closer until he accidentally cracked a dead twig. To his shock, the figure instantly swung a glaive toward him. Instinctively, he blocked the attack with Hylian Shield and countered the attack with a hard vertical slash. The attacker shouted, before performed two horizontal attacks to him and sidestepped his attack,  
  
"Gale Feint!" The impact staggered them, yet both were able to put themselves into attacking stance. Now Link could see the attacker clearly; it was an Asian girl with braided hair and a revealing red costume. Wasting no time, he asked her,  
  
"Who are you? Why do you watching us?" Instead, the girl replied vehemently,  
  
"Jerk, what are you doing with Sophitia?" Link replied in his usual style,  
  
"Excuuuse me! I am not a jerk and I'm protecting Princess Sophitia from the people like you!" She smirked,  
  
"Looks like we'll have to settle this the hard way!" Then she added a mocking smile, "Don't worry, it'll be over soon!" Unfazed, the elf answered,  
  
"Sorry, but you will be the one who fall first…"  
  
"Okay! Let's go! Blunting Kick!" The girl slashed horizontally toward Link, and then followed by the roundhouse kick. The young elf evaded the attack and rolled forward, bringing his sword to the opponent. Yet, the mysterious girl swung her glaive turnaround. The maneuver was enough to force Link to take a safe distance from her. The girl didn't stop her attack; she followed it with a backhand swing. Again, the elf rolled away and took a boomerang from his pocket,  
  
"Boomerang Stance!" The girl saw the boomerang was flying toward her when she charged. Swiftly, she performed an overhead slash, which knocking out the boomerang. Before she followed it with chest stab, the elf caught her left hand and twisted it into the odd angle. Gritting her teeth, she countered the attack by grabbing the opponent's shoulder with her free hand. Soon they were locked each other, unable to break the hold. As the fight raged, Sophitia entered the fray and surprised with what she saw. She shouted with commanding voice,  
  
"Stop it, both of you!" Everyone was stunned with her appearance, yet they didn't let their embrace off. Then she called,  
  
"Mina, is that you? Why are you here?" Seung Mina asked back, while her arm still wrenched by her opponent,  
  
"Sophie…what are you doing with this long-eared jerk?" The remarks stung Link, who shouted irritably,  
  
"Excuse me!! I am an elf and how many times I've told you that I'm not a JERK!" The Korean girl retorted,  
  
"You are if you aren't going to let my arm go!!" Before the verbal fight broke, the Greek shouted aloud,  
  
"Stop it now!! Yes, I talk to both of you!!" Sophitia turned to the elf,  
  
"Link, this is Seung Mina from Choson Peninsula and she is my friend…Mina, this is Link of Hyrule. Now would you let off the hold, please?" Though half-doubtful, Mina let her grip off. The elf returned the favor by releasing the twist. While stretching his pained shoulder, he said,  
  
"If you aren't the friend of Princess Sophitia, I wouldn't let you go…" Mina almost lashed him back, if Sophitia didn't pull her. The Greek stared her,  
  
"Mina, you have not answer my question," Smiling sheepishly, the Korean girl answered,  
  
"I was looking for the Sword of Salvation, Sophie…" The blond girl gasped in shock,  
  
"I thought Hwang had told you that the sword was evil!" Mina merely scratched her head,  
  
"Well, he hasn't! He dragged me back to home, but forgot to tell me the whole story. Beside, I also look for Yunsung. He also looking for the sword like me…" Shaking her head tiredly, Sophitia realized that Mina didn't mean anything harm. After sighing for relief, she said,  
  
"Then our objective are same; I'm also looking for my sister Cassandra. Mina, why don't you join us?" The Korean didn't answer; she glanced the elf that stood quite a distance from them. She whispered,  
  
"Where do you got him, Sophie? Had he not so rude, he's quite cute…" Facefaulted, the Greek replied,  
  
"Er, that's a long story, Mina. Don't worry, he's very good…" The Korean smiled mischievously, patting the blond girl's shoulder,  
  
"Pity, I already attached with Hwang…anyway, this is just like the old time, right?" Then Link called them,  
  
"Princess Sophitia, the food is ready…Ask your friend to join us!" Sophitia nodded and turned to Mina,  
  
"Come, Mina! Let's eat…" They went to the bonfire and ate their dinner. The stars adorned the night sky above them.  
  
Back to Romania,  
  
Taki was behind Talim and Yunsung, when they trailed the path that passes through the Carpathian Mountains. The trail would lead them to the border of Hungary. Not very far from the border, there was an abandoned castle. The people believed the castle once belonged to no other than Prince Vlad' the Impaler' Tepes. Though the Filipino girl begged to go to that place, she firmly refused, since they have no time to visit such terrible place.   
  
While they walked before her, the ninja pondered something. Talim somehow reminded her to Sophitia,  
  
Ah, her beloved Sophitia…Taki simply couldn't forget the Greek woman. They had developed a certain bond between them after their last adventure. How could she forget the moment when they kissed each other in the dark? Suddenly, she dismissed the thought instantly, turning her attention to the Korean youth and the Filipino girl who were talking to each other.  
  
No doubt, Sophitia already has her own family with Rothion…what a lucky man…then she remembered her answer to Talim when they met for the first time,  
  
Sorry, I don't like to baby-sit the children…she smiled with myrrh,  
  
Look, Taki! What are you doing now? What does she says when she sees you now? No doubt, she would laugh and smile to her. After all, there was no difference between them now; both of them have a 'family'.  
  
"Ate, ayos ka ba? You looks like daydreaming," The girl's words jerked Taki back to the reality. They were traveled across the trail at the Transylvania. Yunsung gave a suspicious glance,  
  
"Ninja, are you all right? It is the first time I see you like this…" The pony-tailed woman replied absentmindedly,  
  
"I'm fine…" Then she turned to them, "What's going on?"  
  
The red-haired youth said, "Talim wants to collect some flowers around here. If you don't mind, I'm going to accompany her. This would take few minutes…" The ninja didn't like delay; the smart thing to do would be to continue walk until they found something about Soul Edge.  
  
But why start doing the smart thing now? She sighed and said again,  
  
"Fine, but don't too long…we must reach the Hungarian border before the sundown…" Talim nodded, before calling the Korean,  
  
"Salamat, Ate Taki! Tara, Kuya Yunsung…" The youth retorted,  
  
"How many times I tell you not to call me kooya?" As they chased each other, Taki simply laid herself on the grass, muttering slowly,  
  
"Youngsters…"  
  
  
  
Watching Talim and Yunsung from afar, Charade was certain that the ninja was completely alone. The right time to lay a trap…  
  
Faraway, Talim gathered the flowers that she could find, while the Korean waited nearby. She called him,  
  
"Sali na, Kuya! The flowers here is very beautiful…" Yunsung snorted only,  
  
"Flowers are only for girls, not boys!" Ignoring him, the girl continued to gather the flowers. It reminded her to the annual festival of flowers at her place. In 'Pangabenga', she and her friends always gathered the various flowers and adorn themselves with those flowers before dancing with the wind. She picked the yellow flower, saying,  
  
I'll take this for Ate Taki. Probably she will like it…  
  
Before fell asleep, a clunking noise disturbed Taki's nap. At first, she tried to ignore it but no avail. Curious, she went to the direction of the noise. There the ninja saw the skeletal remains scattered around, it formed a circular pattern. Taki moved forward into the center. She knelt and examined the bone carefully. As she preoccupied, a fleshy core with the large eye rolled quite a distance from her. Taki pondered inside,  
  
Strange, it is unusual to have animal skeleton around here…there is no sign of the predators around. Then how do these bones coming from? At the same time, the fleshy core slowly floated behind her and throbbed. Instantly, the scattered bones around there floated, surrounding the ninja tightly. Sensing something wrong, she pulled Rekki-maru. With one accord, the bones zoomed to her simultaneously. Instinctively, Taki pulled Reaping Hook; she performed a low, sweeping slash that sending the nearest bones away. She followed the maneuver with Bamboo Cutter, by slashing in circular arc. In the end, she deflected the attacking bones by using Blood Scroll. Rapid Destruction kick swept the rest away. Before she breathed a relief, one of the bones knocked her face squarely. Howled, she staggered backward, while holding her injured forehead. In retaliation, the ninja sent the horizontal slash to the offending objects. Once finished, Taki tried to open her right eye, but it was very painful and she could only see stars. She also had a bleeding scar at the right part of the forehead. Even so, she forced herself to see what next.  
  
The bones gathered to the fleshy core and formed something akin to skeleton. Slowly but sure, they formed disproportionate limbs and finally a makeshift ribcage to encase the core inside. The eye stared the ninja, while throbbing rhythmically. If it had a mouth, it might laugh at her. She hissed furiously,  
  
"Demon…" To her surprise, the creature's right limb has transformed into a broad blade with the elevated sharp edge. She recognized it as the weapon of the Russian who fought her three days ago,  
  
How could this creature obtain that weapon? No doubt, those people have met the grisly end at its hand! She realized that she has a disadvantage. Her right eye seemed refuse to cooperate, while the painful sensation still stung deeply. But she was a ninja…though reneged from her clan! She wouldn't withdraw from the battle, no matter the situation. The injury wouldn't stop her! She refused to accept the karma like those Russians! Putting herself into an attacking stance, Taki spoke coldly to Charade,  
  
"I don't care who you are, but I know from where you are…and I'll send you back there!" The creature replied with sending a vertical strike. Taki blocked the attack, and then shouted as she sent her attacks,  
  
"Say your prayers, lost soul!" Three fast stabs went like a lightning, forcing the creature backward. Yet, she didn't forced the attack; instead taking a safe distance. She cried aloud. Instantly she jumped airborne and spun her body, before zooming to the opponent. Charade was ready, yet it didn't expect the ninja to land behind it. Wasting no time, she slashed horizontally, knocking the creature to the ground. Though cornered, the creature that spawned from the fragments of Soul Edge, rose in no time and turned to her. In addition of the blade, it added a claw weapon at left limb. Charging again, it performed 2 horizontal slashes, followed by a huge vertical chop. Taki countered it by performing Stalker stance. She jumped away, landing far from the opponent.   
  
That was Nightmare's move! How could the creature learn it? Unless…it was coming from the Evil Seeds! Charade attacked again; this time it whipped its weapon while spun around. Once again, the ninja used Stalker to evade the attack. Realizing the gravity of the situation, she pondered,  
  
To destroy the creature, I must use Exorcism at once…however it might mimic my movements! The only way to defeat it is to use a lightning attack…Possession Stance! Once made up her mind, she took the distance and prepared herself. When the creature attacked again, she sidestepped to left. With suddenness, she leaped to Charade's right side and slashed high. The creature was knocked very far with sudden attack. Giving no quarter, she followed the opponent. At the same time, her left hand pulled the lower ninjato. The unholy creature quickly crossed the blade and claw together. Taki slashed the left ninjato, while shouting,  
  
"Mekki-maru's Darkness!!" As the enchanted sword went downward, it carried a flaming trail and impacted with the opponent's weapon. When the steels impacted, the sound was deafening. Charade was knocked farther from the ninja, and fell crumpled. Taki quickly sheathed Mekki- maru back, while staring to her opponent. The creature started to rise again, however it didn't attack her. It was stunned with the impact. Before it could recover, she already moved close to her and sent Assassin's Strike. Though taken aback, the creature managed to block low, only to be taken by her. As its defense open, the ninja shouted aloud as she sent three fast stabs,  
  
"Burning Misery!" The suddenness of the attack left Charade to block with the blade, yet the weapon was shattered into pieces when impacted with Rekki-maru. Startled, it took three steps backward and stared the broken blade. Taki almost gloated in victory, if the pain on her head didn't remind her. She satisfied herself by smiling mockingly.  
  
The creature immediately threw its broken blade away, but what surprised Taki was it threw its claw weapon too. To her amazement, another weapon has materialized on Charade's limbs. It was the spiked morning star and a scythe; the chain connected both. She cursed,  
  
"Damn, now it becomes harder…" However, she was certain that her Possession stance could outwit the creature. Slowly, the fight continued. The creature whirled the morning star and swung it toward her. She avoided the strike, yet almost got cut in two when the scythe flew toward her. Once again, she performed Storm Scroll toward the opponent. When close to the favoring distance, she unsheathed Mekki-maru again and stroke closer. Anticipating that, Charade blocked the attack with the scythe. Failed, Taki attacked again with Dream Scroll; she planned to connect it with Exorcism. Before her attack reached the midsection, the creature sidestepped it unexpectedly. She cried aloud,  
  
"No!!" Now she was open to the attack. Charade launched itself, hitting her at the head. Staggered backward, she felt the impact has aggravated her injury. As she tried to recover, the creature grabbed and threw her faraway. Yet, the ninja rolled to lessen the force. She saw the scythe coming, and blocked it with Mekki-maru, but then the chain entangled her left hand. As the creature pulled her closer, she gasped as the morning star flew in full speed toward her head. Instantly she lifted Rekki-maru at the right hand, however the spiked ball was extremely too close to be deflected away. She managed to whisper,  
  
"Sophitia…" The sickening, crash sound echoed along the mountains…  
  
  
  
Few hours later, Yunsung and Talim returned but they couldn't find Taki. The Korean complained,  
  
"Great, she must leave us here and go by herself…" The Filipino replied, while carrying a bouquet of flowers,  
  
"Huwag kang ganyan, Kuya! I'm sure Ate Taki won't leave us here…" She shouted,  
  
"Ate Taki! Ate, where are you?" Impatient, the red-haired youth looked around, but there was nothing. Then he went to the nearest slope that leads to the foot of the hills. As he scanned the surrounding, something attracted his attention. He saw something colored in red below the hills. He went to see the object closer. Instantly, he exclaimed with utter shock,  
  
"A-nio!!" Hearing him, Talim ran toward him and asked,  
  
"Kuya, anong nangyayari? Do you see Ate Taki?"  
  
  
  
Yunsung didn't answer her question; he simply stared something below blankly. When Talim went closer, she could not hold her shock. Instantly, the flowers fell from her hands. They saw Taki lying facedown below. Though the distance was too far, they could see blood splattered around her. Unable to hold her emotion, the young girl trailed downward to the ninja, screaming,  
  
"Ate Taki!! Ate Taki!!!" Yunsung followed her down. Once there, they stood transfixed to the ninja's body. Talim shook the body tearfully, wishing this were only a dream,  
  
  
  
"Ate Taki!! ATE TAKI!!!" She didn't answer. Shaking, the Korean turned her body around. They were frightened to saw what they saw. There was a large gash on Taki's head; blood smeared the right part of her face and her black hair was disheveled. Her eyes closed tightly. The girl broke into tears, crying,  
  
"Patay na si Ate Taki…patay na siya,Kuya!" However, Yunsung shook her,  
  
"Stop crying, Talim!! Crying won't bring her back!" It didn't stop Talim from crying; she still sobbed. Yunsung was at loss; he never saw the dead people like this one. Worse, he didn't know what to do in this situation. Slowly, he hugged the Filipino, trying to comfort her,  
  
"Calm down, Talim…I know what you feel, however there is nothing we could do now…" Suddenly a weak moan slipped from the ninja's lips. Startled, they hurried to her. The red-haired youth checked her pulse and said cautiously,  
  
"She's still alive…she isn't die…" Wiping her tears, Talim checked Taki's wrist and exclaimed,  
  
"Tama, Kuya! Buhay pa siya! We must bring her to the safe place. I have some medicines in my sack…"  
  
"You'd better hurry, or she will left us for good…" Immediately, Yunsung took the ninja's limp body and carried her on his back. The young girl followed him from behind, while carrying Rekki-maru. However they didn't realized that the lower sheath behind the ninja's back was empty…   
  
Faraway, another ninjato dangled out from Charade's grip. Its purple aura glowed brighter…  
  
To Be Continued  
  
Author's note: Okay, this is the first. The second part will come whenever I had a spare time. If you find something not correct, just tell me! As usual, your critics (and flames) are welcome! See you!  
  
Glossary:  
  
Korean:  
  
A-nio (No)  
  
Filipino:  
  
Magandang gabi po (good evening)  
  
Parang (like)  
  
Meron pa rin dito (there is too?)  
  
Ayos ka ba (are you okay?)  
  
Salamat (Thank you)  
  
Tara (Come)  
  
Sali na (Join)  
  
Huwag kang ganyan (Don't be like that)  
  
Anong nangyayari (What's going on?)  
  
Patay (Dead)  
  
Patay na siya (She/he is dead)  
  
Tama (right)  
  
Buhay pa siya (she/he is still alive)  
  
Miscellaneous:  
  
Nosferatu (Rom.)/Kyuuketsuki (Jap.)/Tiyanak (Fil.) = a blood-sucking creature; vampire, undead.   
  
Akuma (Jap.)= devil  
  
Pangabenga = the annual festival of flowers that celebrated in Baguio City, Philippines. 


	6. The Convergence Part II

=The Convergence=  
  
Part II  
  
Early afternoon, near the outskirts of France,  
  
Set her breath, Xianghua lifted her sword over the head. She wore her red corset again, while fixed her attention to the sword. Then she swung the sword high before she continued with a midstab. After that, Xianghua ran forward and made a wide horizontal arc slash. She shouted,  
  
"Rhythm Break!" She twirled her sword at the midsection range, before lunged forward and twirled again her sword twice. Finished with the movement, she slashed vertically,  
  
"Mei Guai Hua!" She sidestepped a little to the left, pushing forward with the sword. Suddenly she went to the ground and spun,  
  
"Hou Lee!" Followed by two low sweeps, Xianghua performed a wide horizontal slash,  
  
"Cross Lian Hua!" With that, she closed her sword practice. Then a clapping sound came. She saw Maxi standing behind her. The pirate said,  
  
"I must say that is really good…" The Chinese girl blushed only,  
  
"You're flattering me, Ma…I mean, Sir! I am merely practicing my moves!"   
  
"Yes, but that is so beautiful. I almost thought that you were dancing," Put her sword away, Xianghua replied,  
  
"You're not mistaken. I once was the dancer in the Imperial Troupe; our styles are based from the Chinese opera and traditional dancing. From there, we're integrated the martial arts inside. Have you seen the dance before?"  
  
Maxi shook his head, "No, I don't know! By the way, where is Kilik?"   
  
"He was looking for the information and food…" Felt tired, Xianghua sat upon the grass. Then the pirate asked again,  
  
"Miss Xiang, may I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure, go ahead!" Looked uncomfortable, Maxi asked,  
  
"What is the relationship between you and Kilik?" The girl was surprised with the question,  
  
"No offense, Sir! Why do you ask that?" The pirate pulled his breath, before threw himself to the grass,  
  
"Well, probably it is just my hunch! I always watching both of you; it is clear that you like him very much, but he doesn't know what to do…" The former Imperial Guard startled to hear that. Even when they were together three years ago, Maxi always teased them for not showing their true feelings. She wondered whether he regains his memories again. Intended to divert the conversation, she said,  
  
"We're…just friends. How about you, Sir Maxi? Do you have someone to love?" Maxi laughed,  
  
"My one and only love is the sea…I can't be a good lover, but I can become a good sailor!" Slowly, his face turned gloom,  
  
"Probably I'll return to the sea again, after I'm making sure that Astaroth won't back again…" Then the girl asked,  
  
"Where have you been after fighting Astaroth?" Suddenly, the pirate was silent for a moment. Realizing that, Xianghua quickly said,  
  
"If you don't want to answer, that's all right…" However, Maxi sighed only,  
  
"After my last fight with the monster, I fall to the underground river and was discovered by the villagers. They nursed and tended me like one of their own. I might stay there for good if…" Gritting his teeth in anger, he seethed upon the name that he hated so much,  
  
"…Astaroth hasn't back from the dead! It seems I have to finish my job!" Touching his jutted hair, Maxi quipped,  
  
"But strange…I really remember that I had some friends before, but I couldn't recall their name." Astonished, the Chinese girl remembered what Kilik had said to her. Maxi hasn't forgot them entirely! Before Xianghua said something, Kilik appeared to them. He looks surprised, but didn't spoke until Maxi asked,  
  
"Hi, we're just talking about you! Where have you been?" The bearer of Kali-Yuga answered monotonously,  
  
"I just come back from the nearest village for food…and I heard something about Astaroth there!" The mere mention of the name roused the pirate's spirit. Rising up, he asked,  
  
"What is the news?" Kilik put his loads on the grass, before turned to Maxi,  
  
"Rumors said that the giant and the azure knight had terrorized the Southern part of France. Many armed brigands had been massacred and the nobles begged the King to send his Imperial Army to hunt them. Yet, nobody knows where the giant and the knight hid!" Maxi cracked his knuckles, before commenting,  
  
"That's sounds good!" Turning to Xianghua and then to Kilik again, he spoke,  
  
"Oh, I have something to do! Just be sure to leave some food for me…" As the pirate departed, the Chinese girl tried to explain,  
  
"Kilik, it is not like what you think…" The young man replied gently, almost like a soft cut,  
  
"You don't have to explain everything, Xiang…" While taking care their provisions, Xianghua quipped,  
  
"Are you jealous, aren't you?" Kilik answered with a forced smile, something between denial and confirmation,  
  
"Jealous? It isn't your concern…" The girl smiled inside,  
  
You are not good in lying, Kilik. I know that you're jealous to Maxi…Maxi is right, you only don't know how to express your feelings! But you will soon…  
  
At the same time, in other place  
  
A company of thirteen men and a wagon trailed the secluded road. The wagon was carrying the peasant's taxes for the corrupt nobles. If they couldn't pay, their properties would be seized by force. As the company moved, they saw a falling tree blocking the road. However, they also saw a bald, white-mustached man sit on the falling tree. They went closer to the man and commanded,  
  
"Please give the way!" The man didn't answer. Then the black-bearded man repeated again,  
  
"Are you deaf? Give the way for us!" There was no answer! Irritated, the black-bearded man dismounted his horse, followed by his companions. In no time, they had surrounded the mysterious man, while prepared their weapons like clubs, whips etc. The bearded man spoke with threatening note,  
  
"If you won't listen us, this one can teach you to speak!" He swung his whip toward Mishima Heihachi, only to be caught by him. Slowly, the Iron Fist Champion glared him coldly,  
  
"Who do you think you are? Dammit!" With such swiftness, Heihachi sent Death Fist to the bearded man that sent him lying very far. Another attacker swirled his club toward the old warrior, however he immediately tasted three jabs and one uppercut. Stomping his geta, Heihachi punched the nearby thug with Lightning Hammer. In a moment, the rest were hesitated to attack him. He mocked,  
  
"Hmph! Insolent fool!"  
  
Meanwhile behind the wagon, five people were left behind to guard. Yet the noise invited their curiosity. Preparing for the worst, they clicked their flintlock rifle and pistol. At that time, the masked ninja appeared in front of them. He wore green armor and three masks. The skull mask at his right, the smiling mask at the left and the demon at the middle. The orange banner flew behind him. Before they could recover from shock, Yoshimitsu shouted,  
  
"Stone Fist!" Instantly, he backhanded them, sending his opponents reeling. The other thug tried to cock his flint, but the Manji hit his jaw first with the handle of his katana. Roared, another thug swung the spiked club. Without turning back, the ninja spins his trusted sword like a helicopter and caught the thug before throwing him head first. As he landed, another thug greeted him by swinging his huge, spiked club to him. Yet, Yoshimitsu kept his calm.   
  
"Futile! Pomegranate!" After saying that, he performed an uppercut slash that instantly made his opponent stagger. Not ending with that, he juggled to the air and sent a pile-driving kick to the thug's jaw. His problem hasn't over yet; the other two clicked their flintlocks and fired. Yoshimitsu spun his body faster and…he vanished from their sight. As they still stunned, the ninja appeared again at behind them, without they knows it. He took a deep breath, trying to relieve his exhaustion of performing Spinning Evasion. Few seconds later, he stormed toward them, shouting,  
  
"Shark Attack!" Yoshimitsu opened his first attack with a cartwheel that swept their feet from the ground, followed by the drilling punches to their jaws, and finally closed by a handstand kick to each of them. The thugs couldn't do anything, and they flopped like a grain sack with the bruised faces. Juggled backward, the ninja landed softly and felt victorious.  
  
Two thugs want to join the fray, but a rugged voice stopped them,  
  
"Don't blame me when you get hurt." They turned around and saw another Japanese behind them. He has his hair pulled up into a ponytail this time, letting some strands billow in the wind in front of his face. He wore what looks like half of a white toga across his chest and waist, and baggy black and whitepants, with a light belt. White flames are shown towards the bottoms of his pants. The thugs quickly pointed their weapons, but Heishiro Mitsurugi crouched, pivoted and sent a powerful low horizontal slash to his opponent's shins. The thugs howled in pain, when they fell to the ground. Yet one of them stubbornly attacked the ronin again. He merely smirked,  
  
"Don't know when to quit, do you?" Instead attacking first, Mitsurugi waited until his opponent came closer. When their distance was close, he spun around the thug swiftly. Before the opponent realized what next, the ronin slammed Shishi-Oh to his body. The thug watched with disbelief, as Mitsurugi jerked the blade violently from his body and he had only a few moments to register the face, as he fell upon the ground.  
  
At the same time, their friends had tried to run from Heihachi. Disappointed to not getting the worthy opponent, he simply lashed his frustration by pummeling those thugs into pulp. One of them tried to escape, but the Iron Fist Champion grabbed his collar and turned the man to face him,  
  
"Where do you think you're going, huh? The party hasn't over yet!" The poor man trembled in his iron clutches, even he started to urinate inside his trousers. The patriarch smiled wryly,   
  
"Don't worry, I will release you…from the earthly pain!" With that, Heihachi took the man's head and head butted it with his well-shaved head. The thug instantly felt something was cracking inside his head and everything turned into night…  
  
In no time, the guards were taken down. The beaten thugs were scattered around Heihachi, who haughtily snorted. Yoshimitsu immediately climbed the wagon, while the ronin waited. He spoke to the ninja,  
  
"I wonder why we follow your plan to rob this things…" The Manji replied,  
  
"These things are belongs to the peasants, but the corrupt nobles robs them! We're doing the good deed by returning it to them," Heihachi commented,  
  
"There's nobody innocent in this world, not even your 'peasants'," Instead retorts, Yoshimitsu sighed,  
  
"The similarities between you and these nobles are power, Heihachi-san. People like you, thinking that being powerful gives you permission to do anything you pleases," When he broke the chest, the rusted irons and coins greeted him. Alarmed, the ninja shouted,  
  
"We have been tricked! This is the trap!" Then they saw another company pointing their muskets to them. The one-eyed, black-mustached man watched them with satisfaction, however it wasn't the one who made the Manji surprised. He saw someone familiar…a fat-looking man and hissed with disgust,  
  
"Comte Duc Salle!" The noble greeted him,  
  
"Ah, my friend Yoshimitsu! Long time to not see each other. Am I right, Desgrand?" The one-eyed man nodded. Heihachi and Mitsurugi almost went to their attacking position, had the ninja not stopped them. The ronin asked,  
  
"Do you know that toad, ninja?" The Manji answered with hushed voice,  
  
"I've helped him three years ago when we planned to hijack the King's treasury, however he turned his back upon me by taking the half of the treasure for himself…" Heihachi smiled cynically,  
  
"What goes around always, always comes around…" Mitsurugi grunted to him, however Yoshimitsu ignored him. Turning to the loathed noble, he said calmly,  
  
"You have the advantage, it would seem. What do you want?" Duc Salle chuckled darkly,   
  
"I've been waiting this moment since you've foiled my plans three years ago and killing you and your friends should be easy like clicking a finger," Yet he continued,  
  
"However, things change. It seems I have to ask your help again this time!" Yoshimitsu tried to suppress his laugh, yet he asked in sarcasm,  
  
"What can I help you, Comte? Expect me to join your band of robbers to rob the peasants?" The noble shook his head,  
  
"No, that would the least thing you wanted! Beside this is suitable for you as a warrior…do you know Nightmare the Azure Knight?" The words struck those warriors like a lightning. However, the Manji controlled himself,  
  
"Has he been here?"  
  
"Yes, he has been here two and a half months ago! Actually, I want to ask the King to send his army, but then I remembered you! Therefore I risked this to lure you…and it succeed!" Unimpressed, the ninja asked again,  
  
"What do we get if we could kill the Azure Knight for you?" Duc Salle clicked his finger and his men opened the way for them,  
  
"I'll let you live and forget our past, and I'll stop from chasing the peasants, what do you think?" Yoshimitsu didn't like this, but then compared with Nightmare, Duc Salle posed a lesser threat. Their situation couldn't allow having a win-win solution. Finally, he said dejectedly,  
  
"Fine, you don't have to ask me! I'll hunt the Azure Knight by myself and I hope you keep your words…" As they passed the company, the noble called Heihachi,  
  
"Wait, would you like to be my bodyguard? I'll pay you handsomely…" The patriarch smirked,  
  
"No, thanks! You can't pay me…" When they left, Desgrand asked his master,  
  
"Comte, do you intends to keep your words?" Duc Salle smiled,  
  
"Only for now…why should I waste the bullets? Nightmare will do it for us…now, let's go back to the chateau!"  
  
Late sunset, near the border of Hungaria,  
  
"Unh…" Those were the first words that came out from Taki's mouth. She opened her eyes slowly and greeted by the sunlight. Then she touched her forehead and found the bandage around her head. Not for long, someone exclaimed,  
  
"Gising ka, Ate! Salamat, you're all right!" When the ninja tried to rise, a wracking sensation gripped her head. Talim immediately helped her,  
  
"Dahan-dahan, Ate! You're not well yet, your wound was not healed." Taki put herself leaning on the nearest rock. After that, she asked the girl,  
  
"Where am I? Where is the Korean?"   
  
"Kuya Yunsung is gathering some firewood. We have found you at the foot of the hill. Thankfully, I brought some medicinal herbals from my place. Your wound will be healed in 2 days…"  
  
"Where do you learn the herbalists?"  
  
"My grandmother taught me," Talim stopped for a while, before asking again, "Ate, what happened with you? Were you attacked by the people who were looking for the fragments?" Taki didn't answer; she remembered her fight with Charade and it was burned deeply inside her. Instantly, she reached the bandage to take it off, but the Filipino stopped her,  
  
"Huwag, Ate! Let it be for tomorrow! It will be okay as long as nobody touched it!" At the same time, Yunsung has returned with the firewood. Piling the woods, he commented,  
  
"Finally, you're awake…Talim has worried you so much!" Sensing a hint of dislike, the black-haired woman asked with a gentle smirk,  
  
"And you? Are you not worrying me?" The Korean replied without turning to her,  
  
"No offense, Japanese! I don't like you, but it doesn't mean I like to see you dead," Then Taki remembered,  
  
"The fragments?" She quickly took something from her pocket and found the fragment still there. Talim quickly answered,  
  
"Huwag mag-aala, I still have mine!" Breathed with relief, the ninja touched Rekki-maru behind her, but when she checked the other one and couldn't find the ninjato, the dread feeling filled her instantly. She frowned nervously when realize Mekki-maru wasn't with her. Then something dawned inside,  
  
Mekki-maru must be with that cursed creature!! The girl sensed something wrong,  
  
"Bakit, Ate? Is there something wrong?" Quickly, Taki hid her feeling behind smile,  
  
"Nothing, there is nothing wrong! Thanks for your help…" As Talim went to Yunsung, the ninja felt her mind was in turmoil. Everything was out of control; it ignited the steely resolve in her mind,  
  
Tonight I will get it back!  
  
Miles from there, Cassandra brushed the dead leaves from the mansion's garden. From Lumiere, she got the job as a gardener's helper. It didn't bother the Greek terribly, as she was used to be doing any hard works for her family, especially with Sophitia. When she was close at the front yard, she stopped for a while, watching her master at the second store. Raphael was teaching Amy to play the piano. For the girl who spent her childhood in the slums, playing piano was an absurdity, not to mention, waste of time. However, the young master of Sorel wanted her to be preoccupied with other things. So far, she could play some notes, though not so much.   
  
Suddenly, a sharp, feminine voice jerked Cassandra back to reality.  
  
"Excuse me, could you tell me who the master of this mansion?" She turned back and saw a tall, fair-skinned and white-haired woman standing behind her. She wore a black, veiled hat and purple gown with low chest, which made her chest almost, came out. Her long purple skirt has some cleavage beside her right hip. The woman's golden eyes stared the Greek girl condescendingly. Cassandra found that she started to dislike the woman. Then the woman looked at her with a confidence that bordered on arrogance.  
  
She asked again, "Excuse me, are you listening me or not? Do you know the master of the mansion?" Gritting her teeth, Cassandra answered irritably,  
  
"Yes, the mansion is belongs to Monsieur Louis Berthine…what do you want, milady?" Disdained her, the woman replied,  
  
"Tell your master that he has a visitor…go on, tell him now!" The Greek girl gripped her broom to the breaking point; the woman's arrogance was too much to bear and she has offended her Grecian pride. Without her knowledge, Raphael had seen them from above and immediately sent Lumiere. Before Cassandra intended to lash back, the butler has arrived and asked the strange visitor,  
  
"What can I help you, mademoiselle?"  
  
Few minutes later, the mysterious woman has been inside the mansion. She stood calmly, waiting in the living room. Lumiere stood nearby the door. The French came in with the blue suit, brown trousers and leather gloves. He asked politely,  
  
"How can I entertain you, mademoiselle? May I know your name?" The woman turned to him and answered,  
  
"My name is Isabella Valentine, or you can call me Countess Valentine, Monsieur Berthine. I have come from England for a single purpose," Raphael nodded only, before he gestured Lumiere to provide drinks and showed her the chairs. After pulling another chair, he faced her straightly and asked,  
  
"What is the purpose, mademoiselle? It must be important that it can brings an English noble to come to France…" Ivy merely smiled,  
  
"Finding Nightmare the Azure Knight!"  
  
Soir/Nightmare was just passing by when he heard the English woman spoke the name. Curious, he went closer to the door and peeked slightly.  
  
Raphael tried to keep his façade neutral, yet it almost took him off guard. However, Ivy ignored that; she continued,  
  
"I'm believed you are aware of the recent massacre around here, am I right?" The French answered nonchalantly,  
  
"Yes, the rumors spread here too. What does it have to do with me?" The Englishwoman explained, as she took off her hat, revealing her hair in buns,  
  
"Well, monsieur! I have traveled very far to confirm the so-called rumors, only to find that was not rumors. Beside I have checked the site where the massacre happened; those places can be reached from several towns and the town near your mansion is one of them. Then I theorized that the knight and the giant must have some hiding place around here. Do you see something peculiar here, monsieur?" Raphael shrugged,  
  
"No, I haven't see something peculiar around here, Countess Valentine." Ivy's eyes, however, showed the otherwise,  
  
"Are you sure, monsieur? Are you hiding something?" The young master replied calmly, though he cursed inside,  
  
"Is that an accusation, Countess?" She rose from her chair and replied,  
  
"No, I don't say so, monsieur. I just wonder with your attitude; it seems you aren't aware about your surroundings. Probably because the old master hasn't returned yet…"   
  
The knight listened their conversation attentively, that he pushed the door slightly,  
  
Ivy's watchful eyes caught the movement, while Raphael said argumentatively,  
  
"Countess, the master of this mansion has entrusted all of his possession fully to me. You can ask from the town mayor or magistrate; they'll confirm that!" Ignored the French, she went toward the door, while her right hand pulled something at her right hip. Raphael was confused with her action, and immediately asked,  
  
"Countess, what are you doing?" Holding the door handle, the Englishwoman replied,  
  
"Probably we should invite our friend to join us in our conversation, isn't it better than eavesdropping?" With sudden movement, she jerked the handle and opened the door very wide. Instead, she met with Cassandra who was carried some tea,  
  
"You!" Ivy hissed with displeasure, "What are you doing here?" Startled, the Greek girl answered,  
  
"I-I'm bringing some drink here…" Raphael quickly intervened them,  
  
"That's all right, Cassandra. If she makes some mistake, I'm apologizing for that, Countess! Now would you care to join me for some refreshment?" Ivy didn't answer; she was sure that someone other than the girl overheard their conversation. Covering her disappointment, she accepted the French's invitation.  
  
As the sun started to set, Raphael escorted Ivy outside where her carriage has waited. He added politely,  
  
"If I find something about the Azure Knight, I'm going to inform you soon." The Valentine smirked in return,  
  
"Don't be so sure, monsieur. We might see each other sooner than you've expected…oh, have you know Marquis Le Sorel?" The French felt a shimmering anger inside as he heard the name,  
  
"Well, he is the head of the Sorel Family…why do you ask that, Countess?"  
  
"He has helped me in my search recently, that's all. Bon voyage!" With that, she ordered the carriage to leave the place.  
  
Nightmare watched the carriage from the library windows. He didn't flinch as Raphael entered the room,  
  
"Who is she?" he inquired. The young master replied casually,  
  
"Just a visitor…why do you asking that?" The knight gave a dagger-like glance with his crimson eyes,  
  
"Be careful, she's very dangerous…I don't like this, you started to accept unknown peoples," Raphael frowned, but then he continued,  
  
"I see. I assure you that if I should happen to across her, I will extend to her the same courtesy I would to you…" At the same time, Cassandra passed in front of them. Nightmare asked,  
  
"Can she be trusted?"  
  
"As far as I concern, she's harmless. Sir, I have found another place with teeming souls for Soul Edge," The knight turned to him,  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Rouen, we will depart tonight!"  
  
Faraway from the mansion, Ivy's carriage stopped awhile. The cloaked man rode his horse beside the carriage, while the Englishwoman listened. She asked again,  
  
"Are you sure with your information?" The man nodded nervously,  
  
"Yes, Mistress! We have spotted him at Marseilles, since then he didn't make any moves! Do you want us to pry him out?" Ivy replied sternly,  
  
"No, just let him! You have done well, here is your reward and go quickly!" After saying that, she threw a pouch of gold outside and the cloaked man took it hurriedly. Then the driver asked,  
  
"What is your order, Mistress? Shall we return to Duc Salle's chateau?"   
  
"No, we're going to Marseilles! That old fat bastard can handle for himself and he is no longer useful for me! Move!" The carriage went to the southwest, as the driver cracked his whip to the horses.  
  
Late midnight at the border of Hungaria,  
  
Talim and Yunsung slept soundly. The Korean snored very loud, while the ninja's place still neat and empty.  
  
Walking farther, Taki took the bandage off from her head. Pain stung her head immediately, yet she decided to ignore it. The memories instantly flashed back in her mind;  
  
Back to the fight yesterday, Taki managed to push Rekki-maru to block the morning star. The maneuver saved her life, but cost her balance and she fell from the hill. She let go the other ninjato reflexively, and Charade quickly unwound its chain before it dragged along to the hill. Taki's body rolled violently until she stopped at the foot of the hill. The creature watched without any expression and then turned to Mekki-maru, without any thinking it took the blade. At first, the blade reverberated with such force, however it stopped after few hours.   
  
Taki bit her tongue angrily. She used to be with defeat, but she couldn't accept losing trust. Mekki-maru was entrusted to her; now it was lost because of her carelessness. Beside, she couldn't imagine what happened with the blade if it had joined with Soul Edge or the damned creature. Few moments later, she had arrived at the little hill that overlooking the large ruined castle. A horde of bats swarmed the abandoned building. It was the former residence of Prince Vlad Tepes. She was certain the creature was hiding there. Silently, she produced Rekki-maru and the Evil Seed; both were hummed with a peculiar hum when pointed toward the castle. The ninja steeled herself, walking toward the castle.  
  
Meanwhile, the loud, clanging sound was heard inside the hall of the castle. Charade brought a large stone and pounded the ninjato with all unholy strength. No matter how hard the creature tried to broke the blade, Mekki-maru wouldn't break easily. Even, the blade struggled to pry out from its' clutches. It seemed the similarities between both of them has ended here. Unable to break the blade, the creature threw Mekki-maru to the floor with utter disappointment. Suddenly, a mocking voice came,  
  
"You can't break it, can you?" Charade was startled; the core turned around to find the voice, while it continued,  
  
"Of course! I has forged the Evil Seed inside it, Mekki-maru has its own mind, though both of you are coming from the same origin! Unlike me, you can hold it for the long time…" Slowly, Taki revealed herself from the shadows. Talim's poultice still covered her forehead, but her eyes stared the creature with hatred. When she spoke, her voice dripped with venom,  
  
"…but you can't have it! Now let's finish this once for all until one of us die, demon!" As the core throbbed with displeasure, it already produced the morning star and the scythe. When the creature swung its weapon, the ninja evaded the attack. Actually she wasn't strong enough to fight; yet the pain was lessened than yesterday. Pulling the remaining ninjato, she began to counterattack. She immediately crouched and sent a low slash. Charade staggered, but then it managed to control itself. The creature attacked her again with scythe, however Taki evaded the attack with Bamboo Cutter. The morning star crushed the nearby wall. When the creature saw the ninja staggered, it went into full offensive. Yet, it was a trap. As it went closer, Taki skillfully shifted from Shadow to Stalker. Not ending there, she lunged toward it with the blade,  
  
"Silence!" The attack knocked Charade temporarily, but it recovered easily. The ninja instantly felt her head was very dizzy. Instead stopping, she pursued her opponent. This time, she began to attack at the close range. The maneuvers confused the creature, because it couldn't use its weapon fully on the melee. She shouted again,  
  
"Seal!" She lunged forward, driving the creature with the flat of her blade. Then she followed with the Seal of the Fire Dragon, which uppercuts Charade quite a distance. Enraged, the creature attacked again by swinging its weapon simultaneously. Taki sent her down-hooking kick that forced it down and sent another attack,  
  
"Divine Wind!" Suddenly, Charade's weapon broke into two, as she cut the chain in between. When she stepped again, she felt wobbly. Fortunately, her opponent didn't use the chance to attack again. Not for long, it materialized the claw weapon added with scimitar. This time, it attacked Taki with Nightmare's Spin Slash by sending a horizontal slash. However, the creature had left some space open. The ninja chuckled at the absurdity and swung Rekki-maru to knock the opponent out. Instead followed its attack, Charade shifted the attack to a forward flip and thrust the scimitar to the ninja.  
  
"Wha…" With her instinct, Taki quickly pushed the blade with her weapon, yet the claw slashed her. She rolled away from the creature, staring to his injuries. The attack almost scraped her chest and bared some skin. Hissing, she realized that the creature was getting clever by predicting her style.  
  
It doesn't know my Possession Stance, still! I have to use the stance right now…before the situation got worse! Then she calmed herself and focused her chi, while Charade waited the next move. Its eye stared its opponent with curiosity. Slowly, she pulled the ninjato horizontally to her face and chanted something. Instantly her eyes opened,  
  
"Rush!" As she shouted the word, her body moved very swift likes the shadow itself. Even so, the creature didn't taken aback with that; instead it swipes both weapons toward her. Immediately, Taki shifted to Storm Scroll, swinging the blade into an arc. The blow was instantaneous; both opponents knocked away. Charade's makeshift body hit the nearby wall, which crumbled, allowing the fresh air to enter the castle. Meanwhile, the ninja hit the dilapidated altar. She felt that her back almost broken, yet she turned her attention to the creature that already recovered its position. It charged toward her again; there was no way out in this situation. Licking her own blood at the lips, Taki was ready to accept whatever her karma is. Before the creature landed its lethal strike, someone blocked the attack, sending it staggered behind. She opened her eyes and saw someone familiar in front of her,  
  
"Yunsung!!" The red-haired youth smiled, "So, this is the one who had beaten you? Let me handle this!" The Korean moved forward, before she uttered an earnest protest, someone else joined,  
  
"Ate, ayos ba?" Shocked with their coming, the ninja stammered,  
  
"How…do you find me?" The girl smiled, while showing her pouch,  
  
"You forgot that I have another fragment too…it leads us here!" She turned away and saw Mekki-maru lying nearby. She told Taki,  
  
"Ate, ito ba ang espada niyo? I'm going to take it for you…" As the Filipino went toward the evil blade, the ninja screamed in horror,  
  
"NO! Don't take it, Talim!" The scream made Talim startled, then the black-haired woman continued, " Mekki-maru is not to be taken by anyone else but me! It would kill you before you even carried it to me!" Instantly, the girl distanced away from the blade, while Taki knelt slowly to the blade. She reached the pommel gently. To Talim's shock, the evil blade shook violently in the ninja's grip, even almost threw her out. Taki struggled to bring Mekki-maru under her control, yet the blade somehow refused to acknowledge her. She perspired heavily and chanted some magical spell. The struggle between both of them was furious.  
  
At the same time, Charade and Yunsung fought furiously. The Korean was full-spirited and aggressive in his attack, giving no corner to his wretched foe. In other hand, the creature couldn't take advantage as it fought the healthy young man, unlike its previous fight with the ninja. The youth suddenly caught its skeletal limb and twisted it, then launched them to the air. Once both of them were airborne, he kicked his opponent violently to the ground. Instantly, the creature was broken into pieces. Yunsung smiled, yet the smile faded as Charade reassembled itself again. He spat on the ground, rubbing his nose,  
  
"I'm not going to lose to fools like you!" He attacked again.  
  
Back to the other place, few minutes passed as Taki still struggled with her wayward blade. Now the weapon was no longer shook with such violent force. As the vibration subsidized, she quickly took the magic wards and wrapped it around Mekki-maru. Breathed in relief, the ninja put it slowly into its sheath. Talim asked,  
  
"Kumusta, Ate?" The pony-tailed woman merely nodded,  
  
"It's fine, Mekki-maru has submitted to me once again…" Turning her eyes to the ongoing fight, she said,  
  
"Only one thing remains…"  
  
Charade was bewildered; it didn't really expect the Korean to come. The only consolation was his style was worth the pain. It needed few hours more to memorize his attack, but now it must try the newly acquired attack. Distancing itself from the opponent, the creature threw its weapon and another weapon materialized in its limbs. It held two short blades and assumed a familiar fighting stance. Yunsung was startled to watch the change,  
  
"Wait! Is that the ninja's style? How do you know it?" Instead, the creature attacked him with suddenness. However something fast blocked its attack and immediately joined the Korean,  
  
"Ang daya mo! Copying Ate Taki's style!" Talim stood in offensive stance, while holding her Syi Syarika and Loka Luha. Then she turned to Yunsung,  
  
"Kuya, do you need my help?" The red-haired youth snorted,  
  
"I can handle this thing by myself…" Instantly the girl's face fell, "…however you can have some piece of it!" Talim brightened,  
  
"Tara, Kuya!" With one shout, they attacked the creature again. Charade felt the frustration crept over its unholy core. Since its existence, it never fought more than one opponent, and if so, it employed cunning to made its opponents weaker. But driven by an unknown desire, it wouldn't fail…never to fail! Instantly the vessels around its core bulged than usual. Then it performed Shadow Cannon. Anticipating this, Yunsung rolled away from the site, but not so with Talim. The girl waited the creature to attack first, once finished she caught its skeletal knees. She pulled her body overhead until her back touched the ground, and then kicked very hard at its 'ribs', sending it flying. At the same time, the Korean kneed Charade at its body, took it airborne, kicked it again and finally performing a rising uppercut slash. Once again, the skeletal body broke apart. Talim exclaimed,  
  
"Tapos na siya, Kuya!" Instead Yunsung hushed her,  
  
"Not yet, Talim! This creature hasn't died for good yet…" To their eyes, the bones immediately reassembled again into its original form. The Filipino said with aghast,  
  
"Halimaw…" It has produced the ninjatos again, and suddenly it rushed toward them with incredible speed. Aware of danger, Yunsung shouted,  
  
"Look out, Talim!" Instinctively he pushed the girl away, as Charade performed three burning fast stabs. He blocked it with White Storm, yet the impact was enough to send him flying to the wall. Yunsung groaned when his back thudded with the wall. Before the creature went to kill, someone called,  
  
"Wait, do you think we still have the business to attend?" The core turned and saw the ninja standing behind.  
  
Taki said, "Let's see who is truly mastered Musoh-Battoh-Ryu, you wretched counterfeit!" Almost immediately, they put the same fighting stance and watched each other. They were trapped in a dance of death. The ninja opened his attack with Rush, which simultaneously followed by Charade. The creature attacked with Blood Scroll, but she has anticipated that,  
  
"Awakening Rush! Soul Charge!" Instantly Rekki-maru glowed very bright and when she flipped the blade, it knocked the creature close to the rubble-strewn window that overlooking the chasm. Without let the table turned, she followed with the next attack and use Soul Charge again,  
  
"Assassin's Strike!" She pushed her attack forward, before Charade had a chance to recover its position. Unable to bear such force, the stone window cracked and crumbled to outside. The creature fell helplessly into the deep chasm below; its limbs flayed uncoordinated. Soon enough, it was swallowed by the darkness. At the same moment, Taki fell to her knees due to exhaustion. Talim hurried to her side,  
  
"Ate Taki, are you fine?" The ninja turned to her sternly,   
  
"You're not supposedly here…" But then she gave a tired smile, "…but thanks for following and helping me to get Mekki-maru again," The girl returned the smile. Yunsung walked closer to them, and then offered his hand to her,  
  
"Well, are you needing help or not?" The raven-haired woman stunned,  
  
"Strange, it isn't like you. What makes you change?" The red-haired youth scratched his head,  
  
"Our countries might be at war, but we're not in Japan or Choson right now. Why should bringing animosities in the faraway land, while we are the strangers here? So, are you accept my offer or not? Just in case I've changed my mind," Taki chuckled,  
  
"Who am I to refuse your offer?" Yunsung responded with a smug. Together with Talim, he carried Taki at her right side and left the castle. Before they left, the Korean peeked slightly to the ruins. Once done that, he turned to the ninja,  
  
"Do you think the creature is really dead now?" In response to that, she replied grimly,  
  
"Let's hope it's true, I wish I can send it directly to Jigoku…" Nobody answered.   
  
Few minutes later, the altar creaked and pushed slightly by something large. From the darkness, a huge creature appeared. His red eyes glowed along with the sphere atop his chest. Faint moonlight revealed his scaly, green skin. A row of spikes adorned his head, while the rest jutted around his left shoulder. The horn-like accessory bound his left wrist. While he wore battle plates at the lower extremities, he walked barefoot. He has watched the recent battle without anyone learned his presence. Moreover, the aura of the fragment has attracted him. With inhuman discernment, the creature recognized who were holding the fragments. A faint vapor came out from his nostrils, before he muttered indiscernible language,  
  
"DESAWOHE. FASER YAYAHO!" Then he vanished again under the shadows…  
  
At the same time at Paris,  
  
Spawn sat atop the cross of the Notre Dame Cathedral, allowing his cloak blown by the wind,  
  
I never thought I would lose Nightmare's track…are my skill already rusted? Then he felt his necroplasmic skin grew tighter and he recognized the signal,  
  
I sense the blood…no, the massacre! It will happen at the north! Rising up, the man who formerly known as Col. Al Simmons turned back,  
  
I'd better go; who knows Soul Edge might be there as well? As he whirled the cloak around, Spawn had vanished from the sight  
  
Late midnight at Southern France,  
  
Cassandra couldn't sleep; she simply missed Pyrrha and Patroklos. She usually slept with them after telling lullaby or bedtime stories. Then the Greek went outside to refresh herself. Once outside, she spotted someone walking to the stables. Thinking that it must be Raphael, she followed but not to close. He went to the stables, where 2 servants waited him nervously. Cassandra picked the best spot where she could see through holes. Inside, she saw Raphael and Soir. The brown-cloaked man gave her creeps. From what she heard among the servants, Soir wasn't well liked. They refrained from giving him ill treatment, had he not monsieur Raphael's friend. Now she listened the conversation between them.  
  
"Our journey will be longer than usual, but I believe we can arrive at Rouen on three days without anyone noticing us," The French put his saddle and tightened it, while Nightmare grunted in reply,  
  
"Why do we have to go there? The farther we go, the more likely the people spot us…why don't take the nearby place?" Raphael answered calmly. This was a dangerous argument he could not afford to lose,  
  
"Sir, there will be many people there! You can get many souls as much as you wants…not only that they're the best fighters that…Sorel Family can offer!" In a split second, a breeze blew Nightmare's cloak, revealing the huge, throbbing eye upon the great sword.  
  
Cassandra was shocked to see that. The fragment that hanging upon her neck was throbbed in response with the Soul Edge. The reaction instantly attracted the azure knight's attention. Even Satan snorted wildly. As he went forward, Raphael called,  
  
"Sir, is there anything you need?" Nightmare didn't answer; the sensation has gone abruptly. He merely turned back and lifted himself to his trusty steed,  
  
"No, nothing's wrong! Let's go to Rouen!" With that, he stirrup Satan on air and then thundered to outside. Raphael shook his head gently and gestured the servants to close the stables. The Greek didn't move at all, as her body was drenched with sweats,  
  
Is that the Soul Edge that Sophitia has looking for? Can I ever destroy that accursed blade? Why does Monsieur Berthine accept such terrible people here? Is he forced or doing it voluntarily? Slumped on the ground, Cassandra wondered what she should do now. This time, the gods have offered no answer…  
  
At the tributary river to the Rhine,  
  
Charade stood in the midst of the boulders; its limbs still held the Rekki-maru and Mekki-maru clone. With a twitch, it transformed its weapons into the White Storm and Syi Syarika…nodding with satisfaction as the streams passed beneath its limbs.  
  
Author's note: Here is the continuation! The next part 'The Hammer Falls' will come next month, whenever I had a spare time. If you have critics (or flame), just tell me!  
  
Glossary:  
  
Filipino:  
  
Gising ka (you're awake)  
  
Dahan-dahan (slowly)  
  
Huwag (don't!)  
  
Huwag mag-aala (don't worry)  
  
Ito ang espada niyo (Is this your sword?)  
  
Ang daya mo! (You cheater!)  
  
Tapos na siya (He's finished!)  
  
Halimaw (Monster) 


	7. The Hammer Falls

=The Hammer Falls=  
At the country of Luxembourg, five days later,   
  
Sophitia walked behind her companions, as Link was busy talked with Mina. The Korean girl listened eagerly to the elf's stories. The Greek smiled; Link has done the same thing since they met for the first time. It was unbelievable, once they were look after each other throats' and now they were good buddies. Then she turned to the green plain beside the trail. A gentle wind stroke her blond hair. She sighed as she saw the view before her; she really missed her hometown, Athena, the blue skies above her and…a bloodstained river? Instantly the scene changed dramatically. The skies turned into red blood with black streaks, while bodies sprawled around her. Sophitia almost screamed in horror. She didn't saw Link and Mina, but something else chilled her blood to the core…  
  
Nightmare stood on the hill not far from her. She immediately went to the attacking stance by lifting her Omega Sword and Elk Shield. Instead attacking her, the Azure Knight merely pointed behind her with his deformed hand. Turning back, she saw something lying at the ground. As she went closer, she gasped in fear. It was Omega Sword and Nemea Shield that Cassandra stole from Eurydice Shrine. The weapon has been battered and bloodstained. When she took those weapons, she felt a heart-rending sadness. Sophitia hugged the weapons tightly, tears running freely to her cheek,  
  
Cassandra…I'm very sorry…I was too late…  
  
While she lamented her sister's demise, someone else walked closer to her sight. She glanced to the person and shocked. The man wore the green pirate attire and held two blades at his hands; one of them had a throbbing eye. He stared the Greek with his reddish eyes and laughed maniacally, while Sophitia could do what she could…scream!  
  
"Sophie! Wake up!"  
  
"Princess Sophitia, are you all right?" She opened her eyes and saw Mina and Link in front of him. Both of them look worried. She perspired heavily on her brown-pink garment, while her bandanna was wet. Holding her breath, she stared her friends until Mina asked,  
  
"Sophie, what happened? You're looks like in a trance awhile ago!" The elf added,   
  
"Yes, Miss Mina and I tried hard to wake you, but no avail! How do you feel now, Princess?" The Greek woman answered weakly,  
  
"I don't know…" Her mind raced to the meaning of the vision,  
  
That must be a vision from Hephaestus, Cassandra was in a great danger! I must help her immediately!! Gathering her weapons, Sophitia rose quickly and said to her companions,  
  
"Come, our time is short! I must find Cassandra before Nightmare does!" The Korean and the elf were stunned with sudden change, yet they decided to follow her. While walking, the blond haired woman could not let her mind off from the vision,  
  
It can't be! He's already dead; Taki defeated him! Is it he whom I saw in my vision? Whatever it was, Sophitia couldn't find any answers…  
  
Midnight at Rouen,  
  
The chateau of Sorel Family surrounded by the armed brigands, even some regulars from army and mercenaries had joined them. Marquis Le Sorel has promised the sumptuous reward for those who kill the azure knight. These hardened people were kept awake, lest they were taken by surprise like those before them.  
  
Above the hill, Nightmare watched what transpired below from his steed, Satan. Astaroth with his horned attire stood beside him and clutched his Kulutues. Then the knight turned to the golem,  
  
"Raphael was right; they brought more people for us, Astaroth!" The giant snorted in unison with the black stallion,  
  
"Destroy all!" Nightmare nodded, even Soul Edge in his hand was shaken with exhilaration. He continued,  
  
"If more people coming, the merrier the party…let's go!" By then, he lifted Soul Edge Zweihander to the air and charged forward.  
  
Three hours later, the chaos reigned,  
  
"Kill the bastards!"  
  
"Mercy upon us!"  
  
"Let's get out from here!!"  
  
"God with us!!"  
  
The brigand has met Nightmare and Astaroth head-along, but despite their superior numbers and weaponry, they were not the match against the golem's brute strength and the knight's bloodlust. Muskets were powerless against the Palgaea's creation. The giant whirled his giant axe and cut his opponents like they were the trees only. Limbs flew scattered around the place. Astaroth merely laughed,  
  
"DAH, HAH, HAHAHAH, HAH, HAH! Squirm! Scream! Die! HHHAAAAAY!" The merciless laughter instantly unnerved the remaining survivors. The golem grabbed the nearest person with his axe, wrapping the hapless victim around and then pulled them quickly as the popping sound of joints yanked from its sockets was heard, and finally threw it to the ground.   
  
At the same time, Nightmare has transformed into a harbinger of death upon Satan's back. Using Siegfried's equestrian skill, he evaded the bullets and slashed everyone on his path. Then a lone horseman went to meet him and lifted his sword. Yet, the knight merely deflected or blocked the puny attacks. Finally, he sent Shadow Slicer, cutting the rider and the steed together. He shouted, while lifting his deformed hand,  
  
"Bloodbath! I will show you a nightmare!"  
  
Inside the chateau, Marquis Le Sorel ran inside the living room when the knight and the giant struck. His well-trained, veteran mercenaries were no more. Sound filtered through the window-the clash of steel on steel, the howl of dying men and the rumble of horses scurrying away or charging back. The marquis hoped that he would be safe once inside the living room. However, he was surprised to see someone walking inside the room. Well, not walking so much as swaggering…a familiar voice called,  
  
"Bonjour, cousin! Long time to not see each other…"The man wore red vest and brown pants, while sporting a small goatee. The marquis hissed with displeasure,  
  
"Raphael…you're alive…" Then a loud scream heard faraway. The older Sorel turned,  
  
"Is this your doings?" Raphael gave a mock smile,  
  
"Just say this is your down payment for betraying me to my enemies…" Instantly, he swung Flambert to his estranged cousin.   
  
"Cousin, choose what sword do you want? Epee? Estoc? Reiterpallasch? Then I will give you a honorable death," Steeled himself, Le Sorel instead moved to a desk, opened a sliding panel, and removed from the hidden compartment a sleek, long-curved sword. He immediately pointed it toward his opponent, while the younger Sorel commented,  
  
"I must say it is really a nice sword," The marquis spat,  
  
"That's good, dear cousin! I will use the Queen's Guard to end your life at the spot…"  
  
"Don't be so sure, it is better to prove your words," Slowly, they went to the fighting stance. Surprisingly, their stance was similar. It shouldn't come as surprise since they had the same style, Les Rapiere de Sorel. Le Sorel opened the first attack, rushing forward. Raphael evaded and began his stance to Preparation I. Slowly his rapier glowed blue as he swung it to the ground. When the marquis attacked with whirling cut, he ducked and parried the attack skillfully. In return, he swung the sword toward the opponent, cutting his coat several times. Cursed, Le Sorel went to the same preparation. To anticipate it, Raphael shifted to Preparation II by advancing slowly and said,  
  
"En Guarde!" The marquis sent three thrusting attack, yet the opponent blocked them with ease and counterattacked with stabbage. Instead pressing, the young Sorel asked,  
  
"Why do you betray me? I thought we're close…" Le Sorel snarled angrily,  
  
"As long as you are around, I can't become the head of the Sorel Clan …everyone said you are the best, while I'm not! You always the brightest among the family, while I'm nothing! That's why I give away your whereabouts to your enemies…" Raphael nodded, then he smiled with sneer,  
  
"Well, I should thank you, cousin! You have enlighten me that I have to get rid the people like you for the sake of the people…" Instantly he went into Preparation III, and advanced quickly. Realized that, the marquis shifted to the same preparation. Their swords clanged loudly inside the chateau. Like fencing, they took the position tactfully. Raphael pressed his attack; while Le Sorel was feel cornered. The younger Sorel didn't want to give his opponent any advantages. He whirled Flambert and then struck the marquis' position many times. The opponent was unable to deflect the sudden attack. Then he whispered,  
  
"Undertaker!" He took Le Sorel's left shoulder and threw him off to his right. As the opponent tried to stand, he whacked him with his rapier. The marquis was furious; he immediately went to Unending Strings, but Raphael blocked those attacks, to his dismay. Raphael's movement was so smooth, almost like a wyvern itself. Finally he shouted,  
  
"Coooooooup... de grace!" With three lightning strikes, Raphael forced his opponent to drop his weapon. The Queen's Guard fell clanging on the ground. Before he could even glance, Le Sorel felt the cold steel at his neck. Raphael put the edge close to his jugular vessels, if the marquis tried to do something; he would lose his head. He taunted his estranged cousin,  
  
"Are you going to kill me, Raphael? We're coming from the same family, the same blood!" The French answered mildly,  
  
"Do you think that too when you sell me to my enemies? Have you felt how it is like to being hunted like a beast, huh?" Suddenly, he lowered the rapier and distanced away from the marquis, while saying,  
  
"Well, everyone changes…I'm going to let you go this time," Then he turned around, as Le Sorel knelt to the floor,  
  
"You're so kind, too kind indeed…" Silently, he pulled a hidden dagger and crouched behind his estranged cousin. Yet a terrible, cold voice chilled his heart,  
  
"Coward…" When he turned around, Nightmare grabbed with his deformed hand and stabbed him with Soul Edge Zweihander. The huge, yellowish eye throbbed ecstatically as the marquis's blood poured upon its surface. Then the knight lifted the sword along with its unlucky victim, shouting,  
  
"Unholy Terror!!" With his monstrous strength, Nightmare threw the sword and the poor marquis hitting the wall on the fireplace where the banner of the Sorel Family hung. The impact caused the banner to fall and cover the body of Le Sorel. Raphael simply shook his head. Nightmare asked him,  
  
"Do you know this creep?" The French answered absentmindedly,   
  
"No, I don't know him…" The knight yanked the Soul Edge from the corpse, while staring him with suspicion,  
  
"Strange, he seems know you so well…" Try to divert the conversation, Raphael asked,  
  
"Sir, do you have what you wanted?" Nightmare lifted his Soul Edge Zweihander. The French noticed that the sword was more bulky than the last time he saw it. The eye had grown larger too. The knight spoke solemnly,  
  
"Three more nights, Soul Edge shall be complete…" He turned to Raphael,   
  
"This won't be happen if not because of your help," The French bowed,   
  
"I'm glad to help you, Sir…" Silently, he thought,  
  
Then it shall be mine! As Nightmare went out, he turned to his dead cousin with pity. Le Sorel's eye bulged with disbelief. Slowly, Raphael knelt and covered the corpse with the Sorel Family banner respectfully, and then he took the Queen's Guard and left Flambert beside the body,  
  
"Farewell, cousin…"  
  
Spawn watched them leaving the damaged chateau. Astaroth would rejoin them later. Atop the chateau's roof, the hellspawn pondered,  
  
Something isn't right! Nightmare doesn't killing these people willingly…Soul Edge controlled him! Then why does Malebolgia want me to find the sword? I smell something rotten… Turning to the south, he said,  
  
"I must find an answer for these questions…and fast!" With a single brush, he has disappeared from the sight.  
  
Next morning at Marseilles, close to the Mediterranean Ocean,  
  
Upon the field overlooking the harbor city, three people walked relaxed. They passed the green pasture where the shepherds tend their charges. Taki pulled her hair into a bow, allowing a few strands to fall to her face. She wore a white and gold robe of sorts with a gold sash covering her upper body and thighs. Metal plate guards protected her arms and shins. She wore a dark pants and the dark colored shoes. The costume was less body hugging compared with the previous. Though her creamy, willowy limbs came to view, the ninja felt comfortable to walk without risking the ogling of the others. Yunsung wore a light green shirt/vest and a long flowing red and blue belt over blue navy pants. In other hand, Talim had arranged her hair into knots. She wore a blue apron-like robe that covered her frontal, yet allowed the side open. Gold bracelets adorned both arms, while she still wore a white pants and blue scarf upon her head. The Korean opened the conversation,  
  
"Hey, are you sure that we can found something about Sword of Salvation there?" Taki ignored the sarcasm,  
  
"I have heard the rumors that a crazed knight and a giant has ran amok here, beside the Evil Seeds has leads us here?" The Filipino girl turned to her,  
  
"Ano'ng gagawin ngayon, Ate Taki?" The ninja merely glanced to Marseilles,  
  
"First thing first, we should take a rest first, before go to northwest. I have no doubt we might found news about Soul Edge,"  
  
Back to Rouen,  
  
The incident at the Sorel chateau had invited the attention of many people. To keep the order, the King sent the 12th Royal Regiment to secure the place. The banner with three fleurs-de-lis flew proudly, as those soldiers took over the chateau and forbid people to enter. The burly, barrel-chested man barked orders to some soldiers and sent them away. Not for long, he noticed two people around the place and shouted,  
  
"Hey, do I tell you this place is not for public?" The bare-chested youth with red jacket and red rod answered politely,  
  
"We just pass around this place, Captain. May I know your name?" The burly captain grunted proudly,  
  
"I'm Captain Cosseau from the 12th Royal Regiment…hmm, you aren't look like the people from here," Then the young girl joined them, as the young man introduced himself,  
  
"My name is Kilik, and she's Xianghua, Captain…" Cosseau merely nodded,  
  
"Both of you are warriors, huh?" he said warily, "You'd better be careful, don't like these people…" They turned to the chateau and saw some people took the bodies away. Kilik asked,  
  
"What actually happened here, Captain?" The captain sighed only,  
  
"The Azure Knight just has been coming here; he hasn't only single-handedly taking those mercenaries, but he also killed Marquis Le Sorel with ease. It isn't a small feat, considering the marquis was a skilled swordsman." He coughed awhile, before continue,  
  
"Taking 130 well-armed people isn't a normal human feat, I told you the knight must be demon-possessed to do that…" He didn't continue when he watched Maxi was kneeling at the chateau's lawn. He glanced to Kilik and Xianghua with displeasure,  
  
"If I were you, I'll keep your friend from poking his nose too far. Anyone can be injured, now would you excuse me! I still have some business to attend," When Cosseau left, the young girl tugged Kilik,  
  
"Kilik, do you think the knight was…" The young master nodded,  
  
"No doubt, Xiang! He must be referring to Nightmare! Let's see what Maxi are doing…"  
  
The pirate stared a huge footprint on the ground. His feature was looked serious than usual. When Kilik tapped his shoulder, he was surprised,  
  
"Sorry if we disturbs you…" Maxi rose from the ground,  
  
"That's fine, I simply examined these footprints. I don't think they are interested with this…" They glanced to the soldiers who drove some inquisitive minds away. Kilik replied,  
  
"No, they are confident to their abilities. What do you find?" The Ryukyu pirate explained,  
  
"From what I see, there are three people! The large footprints are no doubt belongs to Astaroth, while the other two were riding horses, though one horse was larger than the other!" Xianghua commented,  
  
"Strange, I don't think Nightmare was riding horse before…" The former master of the Ling-Sheng-Su Temple added,  
  
"He had already changed much since our last fight, I must prepare myself! Sir, where are the direction of the footprints?" Maxi merely pointed toward northeast. Nodded, Kilik said inside,  
  
Kali-Yuga, lead me to the sword!  
  
Late night at the streets of Marseilles,  
  
The surrounding looked merry, as the people went back and fro. They drank, ate and sought pleasure like they would die anytime. Among them, three strangers were looking for a shelter. With look of disappointment, Taki turned around to her companions and said,  
  
"This is the sixth inn, which I asked. As usual, there are no vacant rooms…" Yunsung shrugged her shoulders,  
  
"So, are we going to stay at the street?" There were plenty of beggars around them. The ninja sighed. Talim spoke,  
  
"Bahala na, Ate! Probably we can find another place," The Korean didn't answer. Without even turning back, the former Fu-Ma ninja left,  
  
"Come, we'll try to find another place," Together they trailed the dim-lighted streets.  
  
Meanwhile, someone huddled in the dark. He couldn't see, but he could hear. His loyalty to his deceased master was the only one who kept him alive; it was stronger than the death itself. He would wait until…  
  
Suddenly something else stirred his attention. Something familiar…it brought the memories back,  
  
"Get Soul Edge for me!" Driven by that, he crawled, rolled and tumbled with all fours,  
  
After few hours, Taki sensed something. She immediately gestured them to stop, while her eyes scanned the surrounding. Curious, Talim asked,  
  
"Ano'yun, Ate? Is there something wrong?" Yunsung put his right hand at the pommel of White Storm,  
  
"Do we have another foes here?" The ninja hushed them to quiet. Unknown to them, she heard the soft, but erratic steps at one of the buildings. She knew that pattern, and then everything was dead silent. Felt something bad, Taki suddenly grabbed her companions and lifted them airborne.  
  
In a split second, they have landed gently atop the roof. Yunsung didn't wait to launch the protest,  
  
"Hey, what is the meaning of this? How dare you…" The ninja merely put a finger on her mouth, while whispered,  
  
"Shh, be quiet if you want to live longer…" Now it was Talim's turn to ask,  
  
"Ate, anong nangyari?" The black-haired woman didn't answer; instead she stared in front of her. Then the roof in front of them exploded loudly, showering them with debris. Taki swiftly brushed them off with Rekki-maru and Mekki-maru. Something else came out from the hole. Pale, bony fingers grabbed the tip, and then followed by the whole body. The pale-skinned, thin man came from the broken rooftop. The straps wrapped his face and other parts of his body. It was enhanced by the purple-colored skimpy costume. The man bent his back forward, allowing his leg to bent toward the head. His head rocked around, like looking for something.   
  
Taki stared the man grimly, it seems she recognized him. The Korean whispered,   
  
"Do you know the freak?" The ninja nodded back,  
  
"His name is Voldo and he is not an ordinary freak…" Talim noted that Voldo was performed a dance-like movement, by rotating or twisting his body and limbs. She realized that the Italian was blind. She quickly tugged the woman,  
  
"Ate Taki, bakit siya magsasayaw? Bulag siya e" Everybody was sweat-dropped after hearing her question. In return, Taki glanced sharply to the young girl,  
  
"Voldo might be blind, but it don't affect his killer instinct. He must be looking for Soul Edge or Evil Seeds as well. Don't underestimate him, he can even heard a heartbeat before the victim realizes his presence," Talim and Yunsung looked on each other, before turning back to Vercci's former servant. He still folded or crawled with his hands and feet. For a moment, nobody moved or spoke.   
  
The Italian was at loss; he couldn't find his targets. He sensed them, but he still need the direction, since the hustle-bustle on the streets distracted his hearing. Unknowingly, Talim began to perspire, sweat dotted her forehead. Then the sweat rolled downward from her face, and simultaneously, Voldo stopped moving. Before the sweat hit the roof, Taki caught it in her palms. The girl saw her smiling, but then the smile was vanished when…  
  
"A-nio!" Yunsung accidentally slipped, and a roof fell to the ground with the loud crashing sound. Immediately, the Italian turned to the direction and his ear caught a familiar rhythm…three heartbeats! Taki and Talim gave a dark, sidelong glance to the Korean, who only shrugged his shoulders. Realizing his prey was close; Voldo crossed his arm and pressing his palms tighter. Instantly, Manas and Ayus appeared in his hands. Now he turned to the three…  
  
Taki cursed, "Damn, he know us now!" She turned to the Filipino and the Korean, "Both of you must go, I'll fight him!" Talim protested,  
  
"Hindi, Ate! Let us fight with you!" Yunsung continued,  
  
"That's right! With three of us, the freak can be defeated…" The ninja replied sternly,  
  
"No, you aren't understood! You can't fight Voldo now! His style is not like the usual…trust me, you'll get yourself killed if you insists!" They saw the Italian went toward them, though he still crawled or rolled, it was getting faster. He would be upon them in no time! Torn apart, the girl said pleadingly,  
  
"Pero, Ate…" Taki quickly turned to the red-haired youth,  
  
"Yunsung, take Talim away from here! If I'm alive, I'll meet you at the downtown…" she added,  
  
"Keep the fragments safe! Don't let anyone see or take it from you!!" Yunsung nodded and pulled Talim, who still refused to leave the place. The ninja gave a reassuring smile,  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be fine this time! Go now!" Finally they left her alone. At the same time, Voldo sprang to the air and rolled three times before spreading his spindly limb; ready to strike Taki hard like an eagle strikes its prey. The ninja has ready; she pulled her Rekki-maru slowly, while another hand touched Mekki-maru's pommel.  
  
Yunsung and Talim ran faster as they could. Actually, they didn't like to leave Taki alone with the freak, but she insisted. They finally stopped after quite a distance from their previous place. The girl said,  
  
"Hindi ko gusto ito! We should not leave Ate Taki with that man!" Caught his breath, the youth answered,  
  
"But she told us to go! I have no choice!" He saw Talim looks despondent, so he added,  
  
"Look, Talim! She is a grown-up woman; she can take care of herself!"  
  
"What about her last fight with Charade?" Quickly, Yunsung gave his answer,  
  
"That's an exception! The creature was cunning…don't worry, Talim! She'll be back!" Still, the girl didn't quite sure. Then a feminine voice broke the musings,  
  
"How about you then, children?" Simultaneously, they turned around and saw a cloaked woman standing at the chimney. The red-haired youth quickly unsheathed White Storm. The woman continued,  
  
"Don't worry, I am not your enemy! We have the same objective…"As she came closer, Yunsung saw her face clearly. Her hair was short and white-colored, hanging on her face, while the eyes were golden. Suspected something, he asked back,  
  
"What kind of objective?" The woman smiled,  
  
"The Evil Seed…I know them too…just let me to see it, please?" The Korean was unconvinced,  
  
"Introduce yourself!" The woman opened her hood, revealing her face fully to them,  
  
"I'm Isabella Valentine or more known with 'Ivy'. I also look for of the evil fragments…now would you show me your fragments?" As he hesitated, Talim tugged him,  
  
"Huwag, Kuya! Parang masamang tao siya!I don't trust her…beside Ate Taki said that we shouldn't show our fragments to anyone…"  
  
"But she knows well…" Glanced slightly, the girl insisted,  
  
"Even so, her eye looks cold! She must be hiding something, probably we should wait until Ate Taki returns," Sighed, the youth answered the woman,  
  
"I'm sorry, we can show you the fragments! Probably you would like to wait our friend here?" Ivy instead hissed, while grabbing her cloak tightly. She replied,  
  
"La Ultima Razon…If reason fails, force remains! You give me no choice…" She pulled her cloak and threw it away. Talim and Yunsung startled to see her costume. She wore a very revealing costume with purple color. Her chest almost came out from the costume, while her stomach was covered by transparent material. She also wore the purple skintight leggings that run all the way to her waist, connected with the thongs. Her left arm was covered by a metal elbow pad and golden gauntlet, while the long arm pad covered her right arm. Gold rings circled her thighs. Ivy held a short sword at her right hand. When she spoke, her tone was cold and menacing,  
  
"Be careful or you'll feel the pain! I had trying to be nice with you, but you throw it back to my face…" The Korean felt something familiar with the woman, but he couldn't recall it. He immediately dismissed the thought and commented, "Now you show your true colors, let see how good you are!" Without waiting any longer, he charged toward the Englishwoman. Ivy simply waited him to come. When they collided, she blocked the Korean's attack with the short sword and parlayed up to three attacks. Yunsung slashed, yet Ivy quickly guarded herself by sending a vertical slash. The Filipino girl watched the fight worriedly. The red-haired youth rolled back to find weakness, as the Valentine woman waited. He taunted,  
  
"I can't wait to take you down!" Ivy smiled,  
  
"Overconfidence, I like that…you're a feisty one! Do you have any last words?"  
  
"I'll show you what I can do! Watch and learn!" This time, he leaped very high and sending three slashes, horizontal, vertical and vertical. The Englishwoman didn't do anything until she glanced her opponent. A fierce gleam passed on her golden eyes. She shouted aloud,  
  
"Valentine, show him who you are! Squire's Cage!" Ivy stabbed her sword to the air, and to Talim's shock, the sword was broken into segments and elongated. Then she slashed the weapon very fast, blocking Yunsung's attack at once. Ivy quickly followed her initial attack with a sudden thrust that caught the opponent unprepared. The Korean managed to block the attack; nevertheless the weapon managed to tear his costume and dragged him to the ground. At the same time, the woman sent a low kick to him, before he slammed to the roof. Talim quickly attended him,  
  
"Kuya, ayos ba?" Yunsung only grunted as a reply. Yet, a shocking scene stunned them. Ivy stood tall, as her sword…circled around her voluptuous body lovingly, like a serpent. The sharp edges of the segments didn't tear her fair skin, as it ran smoothly along her curves. She smirked to them.  
  
"By the winds," The girl cried, as she pulled her elbow blades, "It is cursed!"  
  
Ivy laughed.   
  
"No, Valentine is simply…alive and it's my only salvation!" She continued, while staring Yunsung,  
  
"You aren't like Hwang, are you? Wait, you're more looks like the girl I had fought four years ago…" Suddenly something dawned inside Yunsung's mind. He shouted,  
  
"You're the one who had defeated Mina four years ago with that sword! I know that!" The Englishwoman's smile grew wider,  
  
"Oh, she's still around then…well, I think I have to satisfy myself with you," Forced himself to stand, the youth shouted,  
  
"You picked the wrong guy to mess with!" Once again, he resumed the attacking stance. At the same time, Valentine unwound itself from its owner's body. Ivy said softly, but a tone of menace ran deeply,  
  
"Are you ready to die?"   
  
"Talk is cheap in battle! All right, let's start!" Then the Korean charged again, while swung his sabre. To counter it, Ivy swung her whip sword in greater range, thus making her opponent wary. Now she opened her attack,  
  
"Biting Raven!" With a metallic clank, the sword flew toward Yunsung. He immediately slashed vertically to deflect the attack. Even so, the Englishwoman quickly followed it with Raven's Beak, which successfully deflected. Yet, she swung her body forward along with Valentine,  
  
"Dancing Insanity!" In a sudden thrust, the sword struck Yunsung's left side of the head, while their distance was quite far. Talim shouted,  
  
"Kuya Yunsung!!" Felt the prickling blood at the wound, the youth replied,  
  
"I'm all right, Talim!" Then he ran into the opponent's range. Ivy quickly pulled her weapon to close the distance, however Yunsung has already inside her range. He immediately sent a roundhouse kick to her stomach. The Valentine woman instinctively blocked it with her whip sword, yet her body was pushed backward slightly. Instead gritted her teeth she was merely smiled. When the Korean readied another attack, she crouched and swept again. Yunsung bent his body to avoid the first attack, as the white-haired woman started to rose up and attacked him again. Sensing the weakness, he sidestepped Ivy's Menace and grabbed her body. She gasped, as the Korean flipped over with his right boot implanted on her stomach and fell backward along with her. Her body crashed loudly on the roof. Talim cheered,  
  
"Ang galing mo talaga, Kuya!" Ivy slowly rose and watched her young opponent apathetically, though a small bruise smeared her face. Suddenly she laughed maniacally,  
  
"Heh, heh, hee... I like that." Then she gave him a cold stare, "Nothing shall be spared!" Hissed to her lungs, she unwound Valentine once again and shouted,   
  
"Ivy Lash!" Whirling her weapon above the head, the Englishwoman lashed Yunsung, who quickly blocked it with White Storm. His opponent quickly followed it with Venom Lash. Impatient, the Korean slashed horizontally toward her. That's what Ivy waited for! Instantly she used Soul Charge at Valentine and swept toward him with untold force,  
  
"Ivy Lick!" Yunsung instantly went airborne. At the same time, she quickly impaled and slammed him to the roof very hard. The Filipino girl could only gasped as the red-haired youth coughed a speck of blood. When Yunsung turned around, the segments of whip sword instantly wrapped his neck in such speed. He tried to release himself, but Ivy immediately kicked his back, forcing him down to all fours. To add insult to injury, she pulled him slowly off ground, as the segments choked him. The youth could only try to keep those sharp segments from cutting his neck. He could feel her breath behind his nape,  
  
"You'd know? You're quite lively. I like that. Probably you're better than the girl…why don't I keep you? Where shall I cut first?" Instead, the Korean cried,  
  
"DEYAAA! You're going down!" To Ivy's surprise, he brought his head backward and hit her nose very hard. Instantly blood poured from her beautiful nose. A feral growl came from her mouth, as she pulled her whip sword,  
  
"Insolent boy!! Primal Dominance!" She kicked Yunsung with her left leg, and dragged him over the roof. The youth managed to yelp before falling over from the roof.   
  
"Kuya Yunsung!!!" No answer to her scream. Immediately, Talim turned to the Valentine woman and put her weapon in defensive stance. Ivy wiped blood from her nose, and.…licking them. She savored and detested the taste of blood at the same time, remembering the person who gave her this blood. Then she turned menacingly toward the young girl,  
  
"I hope you're more reasonable from your friend…I won't repeat myself; give the fragments and I will leave you unharmed," Talim answered slowly,  
  
"There's a reason why I cannot yield. This is one of them…" The Englishwoman watched her with curiosity,  
  
"Your dialect is unique…are you coming from the Spanish colonies?" Pretending not to be lured, the young girl asked,  
  
"Paano alam mo?" Ivy chuckled,  
  
"I once read about your people when I was a child…what is your name? Talim?" Set her composure to dignity and ignoring the breeze that tickled her skin, she reached out and offered a genuine smile,  
  
"Talim, stop this senseless fighting…give me the fragments and you can going back to your home. I will make sure that the Evil Seed won't disturb anymore…please," The girl hesitated; what Ivy said seems reasonable. She could go home and forget the Soul Edge but then Ate Taki? She had told her about the truth behind the blade and the fragments…if she let it, the untold evil would befall upon the world, like what she felt during her childhood. She stared Ivy's golden eyes; it seemed smiling but behind it hid sadness…and madness at the same time. She shouted,  
  
"No! Hindi ko ibigay ito para sayo! I won't back down!" Instantly, the smile at Ivy's face vanished and replaced with a cold sneer,  
  
"Very well, you are the one who has asked and you are the one upon whom all the consequences fall!" With a twitch, Valentine resumed its whip form. She quickly leaned up and whirled her weapon above the head, striking with full force,  
  
"Crucifixion!" When the whip screeched toward her, Talim quickly blocked it with her elbow blades. Before she managed to breathe, Ivy already sent another attack,  
  
"Ancient Wheel!" Instantly, two low sweeps flew toward the Filipino, yet she swiftly avoided the attack. As the following attacks came, the girl decided to add another elements in her style: Arnis-style attack! She blocked Valentine's attacks by swung both weapons skillfully. This enraged Ivy further as she has became merciless in her attack. She taunted,  
  
"You won't win, savage! I'm assure you that what you'll get is suffering…" Talim didn't parley with her; instead she pushed forward and swifter to the Englishwoman's side. She shouted,  
  
"Ito ang Roundhouse sipa!" Her right heel instantly struck Ivy's rib. Gritted her teeth, the white-haired woman sent Lamenting Tail that tore the apron-like costume apart. Even it scratched Talim's abdomen slightly. It didn't deter the girl to stop her attack. Circled her opponent, she sent,  
  
"Blade Cyclone!" Her body instantly whirled around like a whirlwind, making Ivy had difficulty to blocking the attack. To protect her, she summoned Asylum. Obeying its mistress, the whip sword helixed around her body. Then Talim leaped behind her. As the Valentine woman tried to whip her, she caught her right arm,  
  
"Sungabb Throw!" Rolled to her opponent's back, she pulled the arm and threw the woman very hard. Ivy lay sprawled, as she stunned with the young girl's skill. She immediately rose again and threw her hair back. Talim watched her intensely. The Englishwoman didn't attack; instead she stabbed the roof with Valentine,  
  
"Fear's Void!" In a split second, the edge of the whip sword sprouted beneath Talim's feet. Though taken by surprise, the young girl managed to avoid the attack by rolling away. The sword seemed following her. As the distance between those opponents became farther, Ivy suddenly ran toward her and pulled her weapon. She jumped very high, while sending an attack,  
  
"Serpent's Venom!" As the sweeping attack hit her, Talim felt her body shuddered. Before she landed, Ivy sent a last attack,  
  
"Pride! Asunder!" Instantly, Valentine rolled like a striking serpent that attacking from below. Instinctively, the young girl lifted her elbow blades to counter the attack. However, Ivy changed the attack into an uppercut and…broke one of the elbow blades into pieces! Talim's face instantly drained from its color, as she cried hysterically,  
  
"Loka Luha! Ang aking sandata!!" Everything around her seems mired in a slow motion. Ivy gloated victoriously.  
  
Meanwhile at the Village of the Winds,  
  
The sound of broken jar was heard not far from Talim's house. The middle-aged man quickly took his wife, who sat on the ground, while the pieces of an earthen jar scattered everywhere and the water inside forming a small pool of water,  
  
"Lidi, ayos ka ba?" he asked worriedly. The woman replied,  
  
"Ayos lang ako, but I have broke Talim's jar accidentally…Sanput, I'm afraid something happened to her," Though he felt the same, the man quickly said,  
  
"I feel the same, yet nagtitiwala ako sa kanya! Talim can overcome the obstacle before her…The winds was guiding her path…" Talim's mother nodded and both of them entered the house.  
  
When everything zoomed again, the pieces of Loka Luha clattered around the roof. The countess rolled her weapon, waiting the opponent's reaction. Talim knelt and took the pieces carefully. Tears swelled at the edges of her eyes. Her grandmother gave the elbow blade and she had promised to keep it carefully, but now…how could she explain this? Meanwhile, Ivy mocked without any sympathy,  
  
"Would you keep crying there or continue our business…" The Filipino clenched her teeth, while staring the Englishwoman with fury. She whispered between her teeth,  
  
"Magbabayad ka…" Then she rose and shouted with her lung, while pointing Ivy with her remaining blade,  
  
"Magbabayad ka sa ginawa mo ito! Hindi ko patawarin ito!!" Without thinking anything, she charged toward her opponent and unleashed Wind Charmer. Undaunted, Ivy smiled coldly,  
  
"Silly girl, probably I must teach you…Valentine!" Immediately, she laid her whip on the ground, waiting Talim to close. She could see fury in her face. Simultaneously, the whip sword reverberated and entered beneath the ceiling. When it was closer, she shouted aloud,  
  
"Eye of Madness!!" The roof splinted and went toward Talim. Unaware of the trap, she continued to run until the edge of Valentine hit her chin squarely and sent her airborne. Giving her no quarter, Ivy shouted,  
  
"Demented Loop!" She slashed Talim back and forth as the girl was helpless on the air. Then she slammed her back to the roof. Talim's cap was shredded, allowing her hair to fell back. Her lips were bleeding. She tried to rise, but the injuries prevented her. She noticed the Englishwomen came closer to her. Without any pity, Ivy grabbed the girl's hair and yanked her upward. A gleam of insanity passed on her golden eyes. She said without any shreds of sympathy,  
  
"Had you listened me before…this won't be happened," The girl merely spat on the ground. Instead Ivy impaled her with Valentine,  
  
"Now it was too late…Summon…" Slowly, Valentine broke apart into segments and they floated around them. A tinge of fear appeared in the Filipino's eye. Ivy smiled; she would enjoy this greatly as she finished the sentence,  
  
"Suffering…" Like a flock of angry birds, they flew and struck Talim simultaneously, slicing some of her flesh. She screamed agonizingly, while Ivy laughed insanely. Their voices swallowed by the reveries below. Nobody felt the suffering that the young priestess felt now…except the two glowing eyes from the darkness…  
  
Author's note: I apologize deeply for Talim's fans if you find the story is less desirable. The fight will be getting furious when some characters will join later. Just wait the next chapter ' The Dark Showdown'. Don't worry, just send your critics, reviews (and flames!) Enjoy!  
  
Glossary:  
  
Filipino:  
  
Ano'ng gagawin ngayon? (What are we going to do now?)  
  
Bahala na (It's up to you)  
  
Ano'yun? (What is that?)  
  
anong nangyari?(What happened?)  
  
bakit siya magsasayaw? (Why does he dancing?)  
  
Bulag siya (He's blind)  
  
Hindi ko gusto ito (I don't like this)  
  
Huwag,(Don't)  
  
Parang masamang tao siya (She looks like an evil guy)  
  
Paano alam mo? (How do you know?)  
  
Hindi ko ibigay ito para sayo (I won't give it for you)  
  
Ang aking sandata (My weapon!)  
  
nagtitiwala ako sa kanya (I have faith on her.)  
  
Magbabayad ka sa ginawa mo ito (You must pay what you have done!)  
  
Hindi ko patawarin ito (I won't forgive this!) 


	8. The Dark Showdown

=The Dark Showdown=  
  
At the same time, Yunsung tried to control his falling by stretching his limbs, something he had learned in Seung Han Myoung's dojo. Then he caught a hanging rope around the streets. Suddenly the rope broke apart, yet the red-haired youth quickly use the momentum to swing himself toward the nearest window. He lifted his legs in anticipation to absorb the impact. Unfortunately, instead the window he bumped the wall and fell once again…on the tarpaulin tent below. When the tent broke, the Korean landed on the haystack. He shook his head and touched the pained neck where Ivy almost strangled him with Valentine. The reddish streaks on the neck were a proof of it. Then he remembered someone,  
  
"Talim!" Immediately Yunsung ran off, ignoring his pained body. He must find his way to her…  
  
Back to the fight, Taki pulled out her ninjato as Voldo fell upon him. Before the Hell Guardian stabbed, she quickly blocked the katars with Blood Scroll. Yet, her opponent didn't stagger, instead he tried to impale her. The ninja counteract the move by swiping her elbow to Voldo. The Italian instantly avoid the swipe, while jumped away from her. Once landed, he walked with all fours again, and suddenly lunged to Taki. He locked his legs around her waist. Before her surprise finished, Voldo had bitten her neck. She screamed painfully, but swung Rekki-maru horizontally in two successive attacks. Aware of the danger, the Italian immediately left her and took some distance. Without hiding her revulsion, Taki kept her distance, while wiped her wound. Fortunately, Voldo's bite didn't contain any poison or tear the vessels. Though his face was strapped, she believed that he must have been smiling. Vercci's servant merely choked a guttural voice, while licking her blood,  
  
"GHAAAAGH!" The ninja didn't reply; she merely circled her opponent warily. Voldo answered the stance by simply walking forward. Taki knew well that the Italian's act isn't to be underestimated. He simply made that before opened his fiercest attack. As expected, he stopped and whirled his body, while putting the katars horizontally. Yet, the ninja didn't want to wait. She opened the attack with Burning Misery. Voldo sprang forward to her, however he has rolled smoothly to avoid her attack. Like a squirrel, the Italian jumped again to Taki's back and locked her waist with his legs. Without glancing back, she could saw the glint of katar behind her. Immediately she pulled Mekki-maru,  
  
"Mekki-maru's Wind!" The enchanted sword came out with furious flame and slashed Voldo's torso lightly. The Italian writhed in pain, and slightly eased his lock. That was enough for Taki. She immediately sent Shadow Banishment to him. Once again, the Italian rolled away from the attack and took quite a distance. She realized she must do something to end this pointless fight,  
  
He's dangerous in the long-distance duel, let's see how good he is in the melee…Instantly, Taki use Rush to close her range with Voldo. The Italian growled in surprise,  
  
"Waghhhhag?!" The ninja shouted, while slashing Rekki-maru toward him,  
  
"Cloud Scroll!!" In a split second, the Hell Guardian crouched his body flat to the roof, rendering the attack hit an empty place. Now it was Taki's turn to be shocked. The thin man slithered beneath her legs like snake, grabbed them quickly and flipped them head over heel. At the same time, he spun to deliver a lethal strike with his katars. Instinctively, the black-haired woman used her legs to push him away and shift to…  
  
"Hurricane Punishment!" Whirling both legs like helicopter, Taki saved her own life for a while. However, Voldo already leaped on air again. This time, he whirled his body in a drill-like stance toward her. Lifting her ninjato, the ninja countered his attack with Shadow Claw. When both of them collided, their bodies were shuddered violently. She slashed Mekki-maru to the Italian, who already jumped away from her. He moved to Caliostro Rush stance by came to her side. Before he managed to slap her with his weapons, Taki smiled,  
  
"I've got you now! Jute Burial!" She jumped upon the Italian's shoulder, landing away from him. Before Voldo ever realized what happened, she put her ninjato under his throat, and proceeds to roll backward from his shoulder, throwing his weight away. Though taken by surprise, the Hell Guardian rolled his body many times before suddenly whirled to face her. Seeing that, Taki sighed,  
  
"We can do this…forever if you want." At the same time, Vercci's voice echoed inside his servant's mind,  
  
"Don't wasting time, Voldo! Kill her, take Soul Edge from her!" He nodded eerily, before running like a madman toward Taki. There was no place to turn around for the ninja; she was already at the ledge.  
  
As Voldo leaped again toward her to perform Centipede Nightmare, the nuke-nin swirled her body away. Before the Italian has a chance to recover, she grabbed his waist and threw him across the ledge…  
  
The window instantly shattered when Voldo hit it. The couple inside the bedroom was frightened to see the uninvited intruder. Fumed inside, the Hell Guardian turned outside to find the ninja, but he didn't sense her anymore around. There was nobody outside! His master wouldn't be pleased with his failure. When he glared to the room, the couple immediately ran away when Voldo unleashed his frustration by slashing everything inside madly.  
  
Taki immediately left the Italian who were busy looking for her. She didn't worrying that. Instead, it was Talim and Yunsung who were in her mind now. Those youngsters were not ready to face the danger that the Evil Seed or Soul Edge posed. They really remind her to…Sophitia; brash, daring, innocent and determined to end the evil sword's quest. Yet, the Greek almost been killed in her first encounter with Cervantes de Leon, then it was up to her to wrap the problem. Sighing, she hoped that she weren't too late. Suddenly she caught someone at her sight. Then she called him loud,  
  
"Yunsung!" The Korean stopped and turned around. Then Taki leaped very high to cross the distance between the rooftops. Without wasting any time, she inquired him,  
  
"What are you doing? Where is Talim?" The red-haired youth replied,   
  
"We've been attacked by someone! I was thrown away…" The ninja cut him sternly,  
  
"Then do you leave her alone?" Yunsung answered vehemently, to brush off her accusing look,  
  
"No, the woman named…Ivy has attacked us; she had thrown me away! I try to find Talim, but I don't know where they go," Instantly, Taki was stiffened and frowned once Ivy's name mentioned. Now they must found Talim quickly! Nobody knew what Ivy was capable to do. Turning away from the youth, she replied,  
  
"Never mind, we must find both of them now!" Yunsung immediately followed her.  
  
Once they arrived, nobody was around the sites. Taki immediately saw the pieces of her elbow blade. Aghast, Yunsung asked,   
  
"Do you think she is…" The ninja shook her head,  
  
"No, though the blood is splattered everywhere, I don't see her body yet…" Then a purring voice broke the silence,  
  
"Are you looking for me?" Once they turned around, Isabella Valentine stood quite a distance from them. Yunsung pulled the White Storm, while the ninja simply put her relaxed posture. She stared the Englishwoman,  
  
"Isabella Valentine, it has been a long time…" she finally said, "It seems you have changed a lot."  
  
Ivy smiled wryly, "Thanks for your revelation four years ago, Japanese…oh, I almost forgot something!" She dragged something out from the darkness. Once it came to sight, they were shocked. Talim, badly battered and bruised stood shakily in front of them. Her costume was badly damaged, while some slashing wounds scattered around her lithe body, though not so deep. Her left eye was swollen. Valentine circled around the young girl, sometimes moving slowly like a snake. Taki knew, had someone threatened its owner, the sword wouldn't hesitate to cut its victim in pieces. Yunsung sprang forward with a cry of fury.  
  
"Silence!" said Taki sternly, thrusting him back; but the white-haired woman laughed aloud,  
  
"Did anyone tell you that this is not a child's play?" Turned back to her, the ninja replied but her voice was sharp as her ninjato,  
  
"Ivy, let her go! She has nothing to do in this matter…" Ivy scowled only,   
  
"Nonsense, anyone who has the Evil Seed is not innocent! I have checked her and I don't find it! Give the fragments and I'll leave her unharmed; refuse me and you can dig for her grave…" Yunsung shouted furiously,  
  
"Because of those fragments you have to hurt Talim like that!?" The older woman spat on the ground,  
  
"No matter the cost, I must ensure the Soul Edge or the Evil Seeds never exist again! Even if I had to spill blood to undo what the evil sword do to me and others…" The ninja said sarcastically,  
  
"Your motives may outweigh your deeds, but they will never wash the blood on your hands, Ivy," The Englishwoman hissed furiously,  
  
"So be it, but instead of my blood, it will be her blood first!" She jerked her weapon, which instantly constricted around Talim's body, making the sharp edges of the segments bit her skin. The Filipino girl croaked with weak voice,  
  
"Ate Taki…Kuya Yunsung…" The Korean was hesitated, however the ninja simply rested her hand upon the pommel of Rekki-maru. Realizing their hesitancy, Ivy taunted them,  
  
"Come, if you dare…" Taki's face were almost hard like a statue, her eyes were blazing with a killing instinct.  
  
Behind the shadow, the glowing eyes watched what unfold before him. The wounded girl reminded him of something. Then it hissed,  
  
"EHNAS SOSOSAYO!"  
  
The cold wind from the Mediterranean Ocean breezed among Taki, Yunsung and Ivy. In a millisecond, the roof beside them exploded with such untold force. Everyone around shielded their eyes. Once the dust and the shards subsided, Ivy was the first to saw it. The huge, green creature stood menacingly. Its breast sphere glowed like a blaze. The horn-like accessory bound his left wrist. While he wore battle plates at the lower extremities, he walked barefoot. His red eyes didn't let the Englishwoman go. Ivy turned to Taki suspiciously,  
  
"Friend of yours?" The ninja glanced her back with venomous stare,  
  
"Are you asking me?" Then the creature roared aloud, cutting into the night sky. Even so, Ivy felt that she was still in control. With one flick of her hand, Valentine distanced its segments from Talim and immediately unwound itself. She smirked,  
  
"I will send you back to the darkness from which you crawled, demon!" The creature, Necrid growled as the reply. Slowly, he raised his right hand on the sky, summoning something. To everybody's sight, a faint green crackle appeared along his arm and slowly forming something…it formed something in a broadsword form. It was Maleficus that Necrid has taken from the Void. Now he was ready to fight…for something.  
  
Then Ivy lashed her weapon vertically with a sudden snap toward the hulking creature,  
  
"Immortal Gale!" The sharp edge of Valentine sliced Necrid's cheek, letting black blood pour. He growled and immediately sent his response by swung his 'sword' to her. The surge of violent force immediately cut through the rooftops like a tidal wave. The Englishwoman smiled, as she pulled Talim in front of her. She intended to make her as a human shield. Unexpectedly, the attack split into two and circled to her. Shocked with the change, Ivy threw the girl and leaped away to the safety. The attack hit the nearby chimneys into smithereens, yet its force still struck the white-haired woman. She felt something prickling her cheek. At the same time, Yunsung stepped to help Talim, but the ninja stopped him. She merely shook her head, while watching the battle. The Korean understood, yet he could only gritted his teeth.   
  
Once Ivy landed back, she staggered backward and felt a faint wet sensation at her cheek. When she touched, she saw a drop of blood at her golden gauntlet. Necrid's attack had cut her face slightly! She turned to the creature with a furious look, while the wound at his face healed instantly,  
  
"How dare you to hurt me, Isabella Valentine! Pay this insolence with your life!" Lifting Valentine very high, she swung horizontally toward the strange creature. She planned to bound her opponent's weapon, and then pull it. When the whip sword tried to wrap Maleficus, it immediately transformed into a whip form, thus avoiding the segments. Instead it locked Valentine and Necrid gave a huge tug that almost made Ivy fell down. The Englishwoman shocked; her weapon were never failed to wrap any weapon…but this one was different. Yet she refused to acknowledge her loss. She swung her weapon again into a long range, before threw it toward her hated opponent,  
  
"Embrace of Lust!" The whip sword managed to wrap the hulking body and pull it facing her. Strangely, the green creature didn't fight. Once finished with the move, Ivy shouted victoriously before sent her favorite throw,  
  
"Summon Suffering!" The segments of Valentine snapped again and zoomed toward its target. Necrid rose calmly and lifted his right hand above the head. In his hand, Maleficus stretched into a staff-like energy. Roared to his lungs, he batted the attacking segments by spinning the 'staff'. Some of the segments went astray to every direction, yet they eventually returned to its sword form. Now Ivy realized two things: that she was outmatched and outnumbered. The situation would become worse, if the ninja and the boy decided to join. She was more startled than afraid, but she knew she had to get out of here fast. Glancing to Taki, she shouted,  
  
"I am through for the day! We'll see each other next time…" Instantly she turned her back and leaped away from the site. Yunsung almost pursued her, had Taki didn't stop him and gestured to look around. The red-haired youth whispered,  
  
"Why don't you help Talim? We might!" The ninja hushed him,  
  
"Though I hate to admit it, I think the demon won't hurt Talim…he doesn't have to send a split attack, when fighting with Ivy,"  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Just my hunch!"  
  
Once Ivy gone, Necrid turned to the unconscious girl. The creature knelt and caressed her face, when she moaned weakly,  
  
"Tatay…nanay…" Though those words were foreign to him, Necrid knew the meanings behind it. His mind went back to the forgotten past. Once he was a human, a warrior and a family man, and then his king sent him to retrieve the most powerful sword, Soul Edge. Little he realized that what he sought would strip him from everything he held dearly. Consumed by lust of power, he challenged the real power behind the sword and lost ingloriously. Thrown off to the Void, he learned his mistake and tried to master the chaotic and unpredictable energy of the Void. From there, he gained Maleficus.   
  
Then he returned to the present and watched Talim, She really reminded him to someone from his past.  
  
He wasn't the only one who watched the event. Spawn stood on top of the nearby cathedral and it has reawakened humanity inside him. It seemed Malebolgia didn't take his memories completely.  
  
The demon will hurt her…I must help her! Without too much thinking, he leaped to the air, as his cloak spread wildly.  
  
Suddenly the sky above Necrid became dark, as the Hellspawn's cloak covered the moonlight. While floating on the air gracefully, Spawn whispered,  
  
"Agony…" Obeying his mental command, the blood red cloak rolled back and wrapped around his right hand, morphing into a broad axe that bear the Hellspawn's insignia. Before the creature had a chance to register the incoming, Spawn had jumped to his broad shoulders. When he came down, he jabbed Agony to his opponent, while shouting,  
  
"Doorway to Hell!" Necrid's huge body flipped forward and crashed facedown to the roof, beside the unconscious Talim. The attack had taken Taki and Yunsung off guard, that they immediately pulled their weapons. The ninja muttered, as her right hand rested on the pommel of Rekki-maru,  
  
"Hellspawn…get back to your place, demon from Jigoku!" Spawn stood stoically, while glancing toward the others.  
  
"I'm not your enemy, though I am coming from hell…" Taki didn't flinch from him,  
  
"What do you want, demon? Do your master send you to retrieve Soul Edge?" The ninja's words stung him, however he answered back,  
  
"I've got the sarcasm, okay? Take the girl and get out from here…" Yunsung turned to her, and got the response. He quickly went to Talim, while keeping his watch to the unknown stranger. At the same time, Necrid's body twitched and he opened his eyes back. The Korean carried the wounded girl on his back, and returned immediately to Taki's side. She still stared Spawn fiercely, and the Hellspawn returned it with his greenish glare. When he moved to face them, he asked her,  
  
"What do you know about the Soul Edge?" The ninja was startled, but she kept it hidden from the others.   
  
"Did your master tell you what happened to those who wield the sword?" Spawn stiffened his stance,  
  
"Tell me then…" Taki didn't relax her stance, as she replied briefly,  
  
"The sword is really powerful, but you can't hold on to it and your soul at the same time," A light dawned then, bright and clear and sudden in the Hellspawn's head,  
  
Ah! That explained much! He had already damned his own soul by making deal with Malebolgia, how much more if he really laid his hand to the Soul Edge! The slimelord would get what he wanted! Deep in thought, he didn't realize that the green creature had rose to his full height and his face was full of indignation, as he muttered,  
  
"GEH MOLAH!"   
  
"Look out behind you!" Yunsung's warning was too late! Necrid had grabbed Spawn's neck and he jumped to the air with the neckbreaker stance, carrying his opponent between the shoulder and arms. Like a meteor, he landed very hard upon the rooftops that instantly gave away to such force. The entire roof crumbled below, along with them. Taki and Yunsung stared that with disbelief, and then she said,  
  
"Let's get out now!" The red-haired youth nodded in agreement,  
  
"For once, I'm agreeing with you! We must bring Talim to the safer place…" Without wasting time, they were disappeared.  
  
Beneath its tattered cloak, Charade watched the event carefully. The creature decided to follow them from the safer distance, while moved swiftly like a wind.  
  
Meanwhile, the fight between two otherworldly creatures raged on. Spawn struggled to release himself from Necrid's grab, but the position offered disadvantage. The creature pummeled him senselessly, and he was grateful that his necroplasmic skin absorbed them. After three floors then, they finally landed at the recital hall. Necrid bashed the Hellspawn thrice to the floor. Not satisfied, he bashed his opponent to the wall and dragged it along, before throwing him like a rag doll. Spawn immediately summoned his infernal power. Instead slamming the wall, he stopped on the air and turned himself facing his enemy. The green creature looked angry, but he didn't lax his stance. Floating on the air gracefully, Spawn stretched his right hand and Agony appeared instantly. He addressed,  
  
"You didn't expect this, do you? Levitation can be handy, especially when you need it…" Necrid roared again, and called forth Maleficus again; this time it was a fiery sword form. Spawn brought his axe in front of him, reflecting the hideous look of the abomination. In sudden movement, the green creature sprang toward him and swung his weapon.  
  
The Hellspawn countered the attack with a wide horizontal slash. When the weapon impacted, the sparks of fire flew everywhere. Necrid quickly sent three strikes at once: horizontal, vertical, and horizontal. His opponent managed to deflect two of three attacks; the last one bit the chest. The huge gash appeared, but Spawn cared it less. With incredible speed, the necroplasmic skin knitted the wound to the normal state. He zoomed to the green creature and whipped it with Agony to the air, while shouting,  
  
"Taste Eighth Level of Hell!" As Necrid was airborne, a mysterious, green mist immediately enveloped him and shook him violently. When Spawn whirled his body, more green mist covered his opponent completely. Confident, he levitated slowly to the green mist. To his shock, an invisible energy struck his body and Necrid appeared out from the mist. He lifted the impaled victim slowly and painfully to the air, as he stared it with disgust. The green mist faded instantly and the green creature threw Spawn away to the side. This time, the Hellspawn slammed the wall with a loud thud. Instead the wall cracked beneath his body. He saw Necrid charged toward him at the nick of time. He greeted him with a powerful slash,  
  
"Messiah!" He bashed the creature to the air, before following him and sent another bash exactly at the head. Necrid slammed the wooden floor very hard. Before he had a chance to rise, Spawn shoved his feet to Necrid's chest. Pain seared the creature and brought him back again.  
  
"ESAYA STSSHI. EYOOS. DODTSU POGETDO!" With untold strength, Necrid caught Spawn's legs and whirled him violently, before throwing him to the string instruments at the left side of the hall. The instruments were crushed under the infernal weight of the Hellspawn. The warrior from Hell cursed,  
  
"Damn, it would take forever to take him down!" Once again, the green creature attacked with a feral roar. Spawn levitated again and stretched his left hand; it was glowed with unnatural blaze. Before the distance was closed, he unleashed the attack,  
  
"Levitation Necro Blast!" Then three fireballs appeared and zoomed toward its target. Necrid staggered three steps backward when the first hit him squarely. When another came, he immediately transformed Maleficus into a shield. Spawn used the chance to perform a dive attack. Brought his axe with both hand, he hoped to crush his opponent. Necrid instinctively morphed Maleficus into its usual form and blocked the attack. The sparks showered them, as both refused to yield their ground. Suddenly, the green creature's attention was occupied with something else. He jerked Spawn backward, while turning to the window. Something called him…the Soul Edge! Then someone called,  
  
"Hey, don't you think you should finish with current business first?" Necrid turned around and saw the Hellspawn prepared a large fireball, larger than those that hit him. He glanced toward the grand piano nearby. When the fireball launched toward him, he whipped Maleficus to the leg of the piano and dragged it, as it weighed no more than a pebble. Then he hefted and hurled the piano toward Spawn. The piano exploded into smithereens when it hit the fireball and produced a noisome tone that echoed inside the hall. Even the windows exploded as well, showering the people outside with the shards. Agony morphed back into the blood red cloak that brushed the smithereens away, protecting its master. Once Spawn brushed it away, Necrid was nowhere to be seen. He muttered harshly,  
  
"Curses! He's gone!" At that time, the Hellspawn's true face was revealed. It was nothing more than a badly burned face. He stared the window, pondering something,  
  
He must be following the ninja and those kids…if I want to find Soul Edge, I must follow them as well! Then the cloak covered him again completely…once it opened, Spawn had already vanished, leaving the obliterated recital hall.  
  
Miles from Marseilles, two figures were sitting around the bonfire. Raphael studied Astaroth carefully, seeking signs of weakness. In turn, the golem stared him coldly. No doubt, they considered each other as rivals to the prize…Soul Edge. The French sniffed,  
  
Though looks dumb, this creature isn't like what it seems…I have to find the way to get rid this bulking mass… Then he teased,  
  
"It is a nice night, isn't it?" Astaroth merely growled. Nearby, Satan snorted in agreement.  
  
Far from the bonfire, Nightmare had discarded his azure armor and dipped his face in the river's cool water. He breathed in relief for this respite. When he saw his face, he remembered his past as Siegfried Schtauffen. For that, he would give anything to turn the time back. Yet the deformed right hand was a grim reminder to his present state now. The man stared back to the Zweihander nearby. Soon, it would be complete and would not longer need him anymore, and then he would have peace after the sword was gone. Suddenly, a gentle splash broke Siegfried's musing. He barked loudly,  
  
"Who is that? Show yourself!" Slowly but sure, a small figure appeared. The figure brandished a small shield and short sword, wearing blue white costume. As it came closer, the knight recognized the intruder,  
  
"You are…the servant girl…" The short, blond-haired girl answered,  
  
"I'm Cassandra Alexandra, servant of Hephaestus and I was sent to fight you, Nightmare!" Her word sounded brave, but her eyes flickered with uncertainty. At the same time, Soul Edge was aware of the godly presence. The sword reverberated with a faint red aura. Siegfried was nervous; he didn't sure if he had to fight her. The girl might kill him without realizing the real matter. He knew, also, that to beat her he would have to kill her. Slowly, he lifted himself. The Greek girl lifted her weapons warily. The man lifted his left hand,  
  
"Please, go away…I don't want to fight you…you don't know what you are faced of!" She replied,  
  
"You're the one who forced Sir Berthine to become your accomplice, but I will end this now!"  
  
"You're wrong, I don't force Raphael to involve in this! He voluntarily helped me in this matter…" With a sudden movement, Cassandra swung her sword toward Siegfried,  
  
"Liar, better explain that once you're landed in Hades!" In swift succession, she swung the sword toward Siegfried. The German was forced to block the attack with his deformed hand. He could grab Soul Edge Zweihander, but he really didn't want to kill this girl. A disembodied voice came,  
  
Fool, claim and use me to defend yourself! Kill the girl and claim her soul…   
  
"Never!" At the same time, the Greek unleashed her arsenals. She jumped on the air by using Siegfried's broad shoulders. While on the air, she shouted aloud,  
  
"Seraphim Hammer!" Nemea Shield flew from her hand and knocked the knight squarely, before returned back to its owner. Cassandra didn't waste the chance; she followed the attack with another. Gritting his teeth, Siegfried instinctively grabbed the Zweihander and blocked the attack. The girl shouted,  
  
"Ha, you finally show your true face…" The former Black Wind commander hissed,  
  
"This is the last chance, girl! Go away or suffer the consequences!" After saying that, he brushed her with a mighty push and ran away into the forest. The Greek girl fumed with such action,  
  
"Coward, get back here and fight like a man!"   
  
Cassandra followed Nightmare deeper into the forest, but she couldn't find it. Somehow she was elated with her first encounter with the azure knight. Then she saw something in front. The knight stood stoically, while brandishing the Soul Edge. The short-haired girl went to him with confidence and said,  
  
"It's time for your punishment!" Instead Nightmare chuckled darkly with inhuman voice as he turned to face her,  
  
"Do you want to die that badly? There's no turning back." Cassandra noticed that the once blue eyes had turned into crimson. Suddenly the knight moved swiftly to her, lifting his weapon,  
  
"Evil Eye!" The girl quickly lifted Nemea Shield to protect her, but still, the impact shook her body like a thunder. The knight shifted into Quick Backspin Slash, however his opponent had rolled out from the attack. Cassandra slashed horizontally toward the unprotected part, yet the Azure Knight countered it with,  
  
"Spin Slash!" The huge slash shook Omega Sword violently, and Cassandra felt her hand was shaking with tremors. The slash managed to cut a tree nearby her into two. She immediately distanced herself from the crazed knight, thinking,  
  
What's going on? He wasn't like this before, perhaps I have underestimating him! I must think another plan! She gasped when Nightmare was on her again.  
  
"Rook Splitter!" Sidestepped, he delivered the crushing vertical slash to her. Once again, Nemea Shield protected her, yet it started to have dents around. The Greek now forced to adopt a defensive stance, as her opponent clobbered her with many strikes. She avoided those strikes nimbly, yet Nightmare was faster and stronger. Then a single chance appeared for Cassandra. She quickly stick her sword at the knight's right ankle and into the ground, while croaked,  
  
"Exile…Order!" Then she bashed him with her shield. Nightmare was stunned temporarily, but he surprised her with quick recovery. He grabbed the girl and smashed her over the head,  
  
"Soul Devour!" He threw her a considerable distance. Woozily, Cassandra forced herself to rise. Yet, she was unprepared when Nightmare charged her with his shoulder,  
  
"Rush Splitter!" The attack sent her flying away. She felt a pang of pain from her right shoulder. To her horror, Nightmare was nowhere to seen. Her mind raced frantically,  
  
This must be some kind of mistake! I must get out from here, to set another plan! She forced her aching body to move away. At the same time, the Azure Knight appeared and his horrible voice boomed,  
  
"There's nothing you can do now, except die, goddess!" He charged her again with shoulder, and then followed it with a headbutt. She rolled away from the forest and landed quite upon the grasses. Nemea Shield and Omega Sword scattered from her reach, while her body was wracked with pain. Nightmare went closer to his victim. The midnight wind breezed his long, blond hair, while the crimson eyes watched the girl. The Greek stared him with hate, as her breath panted. The huge eye at the Zweihander blinked several times. Slowly, he lifted his weapon very high, pointing it to the girl's chest,  
  
"Your soul is mine now!" The sword descended rapidly as Cassandra Alexandra screamed aloud…  
  
Three days later, Talim sat close to the window at the countryside inn; she smiled with myrrh when a lone butterfly flew to her direction. She reached out, but the butterfly shied away. The girl hunched her head again. She was getting well after her last encounter with Ivy, but her cheerful expression had gone. Somehow she was lost something that was dear to her. Then Yunsung called her, while carrying a bowl of food,  
  
"Talim, let's eat! I have brought you some food," The young girl replied lazily,  
  
"Maraming salamat, Kuya. Hindi nagugutom ako…" The red-haired youth insisted, as he went closer to offer the food,  
  
"Come on, you didn't eat anything since you woke up. Eat some…" What he got was a cold shrug. He left her with look of concern. At the same time, Taki opened the door. She has changed her costume into the green one. The soft fabrics rustled with her body, while the shoulder pads hung lightly at her shoulders. This time, she let her raven hair fall to the back.  
  
She asked, "How is she?" Yunsung shook his head,  
  
"She doesn't want to eat, no matter how hard I try to persuade," He gritted his teeth,  
  
"If I meet with that woman again, I will make sure she will pay for what she have done to Talim…" The ninja ignored the outburst, while saying,  
  
"Sometimes it is easy to heal the body than the soul. The loss of an elbow blade probably too much for her to bear," She turned to the Korean,  
  
"Yunsung, I want you to go outside for a while! There is something I want to talk to her…"  
  
"All right, I hope you do better than I," The youth immediately left them alone. She went closer and sat beside her. Before the ninja opened her mouth, Talim said,  
  
"Pakiusap, Ate…I don't want to talk anything right now," The Japanese woman inquired,  
  
"Do you still thinking about your broken blade?" The girl turned around; the look of sadness was evident on her face.   
  
"Ate, Syi Syarika and Loka Luha are the reminder who I am…Loka Luha has already broken and I'm failed to protect it. Probably I am not deserve to have such weapons…I have disappointed my lola…" Taki stroke the girl's hair gently,  
  
"Silly girl, your grandmother gave those weapons to you, because she wanted you to use it for your good, not as a mere decorations. Just because Ivy broke one of them, it doesn't means you aren't worthy to use it again…you are what you are!" She produced something wrapped by linen and continued,  
  
"I believe that I may be of some help in that regard," When the ninja unwrapped the linen, Talim held her breath momentarily. It was a blade, heavier and longer, almost similar with a broad sword. Yet, it has two holders. The Filipino watched the blade with hesitation as Taki explained,  
  
"I have looking the blade for three days; it might not suit your taste, but it can substitute your broken blade until you found the better one…why don't you try it?" Slowly, the girl rose and took the blade. She swung and swirled the weapon; it was like a feather in her hand. Then she stopped and watched her own reflection at the weapon. A soft voice came to her ears,  
  
Believe in yourself, Talim.   
  
She nodded understandingly and said, "Cao Ankana…I shall name this blade Cao Ankana," Then her face broke into smile and she suddenly hugged the ninja, while thanking,  
  
"Maraming salamat, Ate Taki! You're very kind to me, thanks for the blade! Salamat!" At first, Taki resisted, but then she gave in and returned the hug. In her mind, she imagined it was Sophitia who hugged her. The Filipino really reminded her to the Greek, though she was younger than the latter. Not for long, Yunsung chimed in,  
  
"Ah, your Highness finally smiles again…I can see you have a new blade now!"   
  
"Kuya Yunsung, ikaw naman!" She turned again to Cao Ankana and said proudly,  
  
"Kung nakikita ko uli ang babae ng puting buhok ito, papatayin ko siya!" By then, a grumbling sound came from her stomach and she smiled sheepishly. The ninja commented,  
  
"Probably we should have our lunch now…come!" The youngsters had left the room already. Taki merely shook her head,  
  
"I wonder if you will like them, Sophitia…"  
  
Eight miles from their place, people crowded the local tavern as usual. Kilik, Xianghua and Maxi passed by to find some information about the Azure Knight and the giant. They found out that sometimes the giant was occasionally spotted around the forest at the nearby mansion.  
  
"The mansion now owned by Berthine, the new master. Rumors said that he keep something inside, but nobody knows what is it…" After thanking the bartender, the young master of Kali-Yuga turned to his companions,  
  
"I think we should pay a visit to Master Berthine, probably he knows something about Astaroth," The Chinese girl nodded in agreement. Maxi replied,  
  
"Why not? Let's go!" Before they went to the intended direction, the pirate accidentally bumped someone,  
  
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry…" However, the bald, white mustached man turned with a frowned face,  
  
"I beg you pardon? A rascal like you probably don't know the good etiquettes… " The last sentence stung Maxi and he immediately turned to face the man,  
  
"You know something? You're a pain. I just wanted to give you the chance to save your life!"  
  
Mishima Heihachi merely cracked his knuckles, "Who do you think you are? Nobody insults Mishima Heihachi and got away without…severe punishment!" Sensed the fighting, the Ryukyu pirate pulled his nunchakus and whirled in successive manner,  
  
"My, my, aren't we calm? I can't promise that you'll live!" The Iron Fist Champion put his offensive stance immediately,  
  
"Better say your prayer now!" The crowd immediately dispersed to give the way for the fight. At that moment, Kilik called the pirate,  
  
"Sir, what's happened?" Maxi spat his words,  
  
"This old man doesn't want to pull his words!" Then Heihachi replied,  
  
"And why should I? I'm the one who supposedly demands an apology from you…" Before the pirate went verbal, the young warrior pulled him away. Xianghua and Mitsurugi have joined them. The ronin asked,  
  
"What's going on?" The patriarch replied,  
  
"Nothing, just teaching this upstart some lesson…" Then a clear, loud and commanding voice broke them,  
  
"Let's go, we have no time for this!" Kilik saw a battle-armored samurai behind Mitsurugi and Heihachi. The demon mask obscured his face, while his right hand looked wooden. Heihachi growled with displeasure, but he didn't argue. Instead he turned on Maxi and pointed him,  
  
"This isn't over yet, and I'll be back, boy!" The pirate snorted only, when they left,  
  
"Huh! I'm really disappointed." Xianghua immediately asked,  
  
"Are you all right, Max…Sir?" Kilik looked upon them with a pained face, but he chose to hide it. Maxi replied gloatingly,  
  
"I'm fine…he probably afraid of me! Er, Kilik, is there anything wrong? You look unhappy…" The young warrior answered,   
  
"Yes, I'm fine…let's go! We must find Nightmare before night comes," While he left, the pirate asked the Chinese girl,  
  
"Did I do something wrong?"   
  
Xianghua replied, "No, Sir! Kilik just…has a problem to express himself. Don't worry, he'll be fine!"  
  
At the secluded place, Cervantes de Leon stood above the hill, watching everything below with his hellish stare. He muttered,  
  
"At last, the time is at hand! Nightmare won't escape from this nook! I shall close it tightly upon his neck!" The undead pirate pulled the Soul Edge Female,  
  
"You shall be reunited again with your mate and the Child of Evil Sword shall be reborn again…then the world shall be ours!" After saying so, he threw his head back and laughed. It was a cruel, cold sound, similar with Inferno. Soon the world would know the meaning of true fear and despair…  
  
Author's note: Whew, my duties almost killing me! I finally finished this chapter and hope you liked it! Thanks for Lysander to suggesting the weapon. What do you think about battle between Spawn and Necrid? I don't play Xbox, but I read Spawn has ability to levitate and shoot fireballs there. So I decided to put it in my fanfic. Check at heat is on when the next chapter, 'Dance of the Blades' comes. About Cassandra's fate, just wait the chapter. As usual, critics, reviews (and flames) are accepted. See you next time!  
  
Glossary  
  
Filipino:  
  
Hindi nagugutom ako (I am not hungry)  
  
Pakiusap (please)  
  
ikaw naman (you are again)  
  
Kung nakikita ko uli (If I see…again)  
  
ang babae ng puting buhok (white-haired woman)  
  
papatayin ko siya (I will kill her) 


	9. Dance of the Blades

=Dance of The Blades=

At the same time in Raphael's mansion, someone awoke from its slumber. Rubbing her eyes, the blond, shorthaired girl tried to clear her head and found herself inside the master bedroom. Her shield and sword lay on the chair, while she wore the white nightgown. Then a gentle voice came,

"Ah, you finally awake! I was worried about you, "Cassandra Alexandra saw the French stood in front of the window, bathed with sunlight. When she tried to rise, he quickly stopped her,

"Wait, you aren't well yet! Please take rest first," The Greek laid herself back, while staring him,

"What happened, Monsieur Berthine? I thought Nightmare has killed me..." Raphael seated himself close to her,

"He didn't...let me tell you what happened. After that, explain to me why do you want to kill him..."

Outside, Maxi and Xianghua watched the mansion from a distance. The Chinese girl quipped,

"Quite stylish, though not so good like my house at Peking..." The pirate added,

"It is so big, Astaroth could be inside and I can't wait to..." Immediately, he realized his mistake when saw Xianghua's worried face,

"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Xiang...I don't mean to..."

"That's all right, Sir! You have someone to avenge. I think I can understand what you've feel," Then she saw someone coming to their direction,

"That's Kilik! Perhaps we should hear what news he brings," The master of Ling-Sheng-Su went hurriedly before relieving his breath. The pirate nodded,

"Well?" Kilik answered,

"The people inside won't allow me to enter, even Master Berthine don't want to see me...It seems they were prepared to move," Maxi sighed, while scratching his head,

"Too bad, I'm not so persuasive. Perhaps we have to force our way to inside..." Before the pirate departed, Xianghua called,

"Wait, I have a better idea!" They gathered around, whispering to each other.

Behind the largest tree, Taki eavesdropped their conversation carefully. She had worn her red jumpsuit again.

It seems we aren't the only one who are looking for Soul Edge. I must tell this to Yunsung and Talim! We should be ready for tonight! Distancing herself, she brushed a cloak around her and disappeared from the sight. 

Three nights before, reminiscing the fight between Cassandra and Nightmare,

Before the accursed sword bit the girl's flesh, a huge thrust immediately displaced it from its target. The Azure Knight glared furiously to Raphael who came from nowhere with Queen's Guard. The French tried hard to stop his shaking hand due to the impact. Nightmare growled,

"You..." Raphael kneeled himself, beseeching,

"Sir Nightmare, remember your promise! You once promised to spare my household and ...she was one of them! Please spare her, milord!" The knight was only grinded his teeth as a reply. Suddenly, a strong voice came to his head,

_Resist! Resist the evil! Resist the Soul Edge!" _ Another voice came; this time was more sinister,

_Fool, kill anyone who stood on our path of greatness! Feed Soul Edge!_ Those voice struggled inside Nightmare. He instantly bellowed like a wounded beast...

Few moments later, Siegfried opened his eyes and saw the Soul Edge jutted to the ground. Raphael came closer and asked,

"Sir Nightmare, are you all right?" The German instead asked back,

"What happened?" Not for long, he saw Cassandra lying unconsciously on the ground,

"_Mein Gott_! Did I..." The French shook his head,

"Almost, but you didn't..." Then the golem came. Nightmare rose slowly and took his Zweihander back.

"Let's go, we have to go from here immediately!" Raphael didn't answer; he carried the unconscious girl along with her weapons. Astaroth watched them impassively until the same harsh voice spoke,

"Is this the master you've served? He hasn't worthy to have Soul Edge, Astaroth! Do you see? He's getting soft! You must dispossess the Soul Edge from him, my champion!" The Palgaea's creation grinned evilly,

"I will dispossess him later, master..."

Back to the mansion, Cassandra told Raphael about the Soul Edge, Nightmare/Soir and her weapons. He listened to her stories attentively, while silently cursing himself for saving her. Before he was thinking something, someone called,

"Papa, I was looking for you...Oh, Miss Cassandra, how are you?" Cassandra smiled,

"Hi, Amy..." The French was stunned, when he heard that,

"Amy, how do you know her? Both of you know each other?" The Greek smiled shyly,

"Er, sometimes Lumiere asked me to accompany Miss Amy; I hope you don't mind with that..." Raphael answered absent-mindedly,

"Oh, of course not..." Then the auburn-haired girl continued,

"Papa, the servants were looking for you! They said that you have something to talk about with all of them! Lumiere had gathered them outside..."

"Ah, I almost forgot! Thank you, dear Amy! Go downstairs and tell Lumiere I'll coming in seconds," After the girl left, he rose from the bed and turned to Cassandra,

"Mademoiselle Alexandra, I have a business to attend! Please make yourself comfortable...I won't be long," Cassandra shouted,

"Wait, Monsieur Berthine! Stay away from Soir! He is an evil man...a monster!" At first, the French was stunned to hear that, however he merely smiled,

"Don't worry, Mademoiselle...I'm assure you that everything is under control. By the way, you can find your new clothing at the chair, beside your weapons." Before the girl continued, he closed the door and silently locked it.

"That could have gone better," Raphael almost jumped when Nightmare spoke those words. The knight stood nearby. Breathed out, the French replied,

"I have no choice...she must stay out from this matter," The azure knight said,

"Many will come here and probably they won't be so merciful like me..." They walked to outside; Nightmare pulled again his dirty brown cloak over his head, leaving red glint at the eyes.

"I have gathered my household now and I will tell them to leave this mansion temporarily...they might not like my decision, but it is better than subject them to the dangers..." The knight added,

"Once you have done that, call Astaroth to come! He might be useful to help you. Beside I have something to settle," Slightly frowned, Raphael asked,

"But where will you be, Sir?"

"I will staying inside the library...it is a personal matter. Now go ahead to instruct your household outside!" They separated the way, as the Azure Knight went upstairs. The French watched him, while smiling wryly,

"Sure...for now!"

Afternoon, at the countryside inn, Taki was putting black paints upon Talim's face. The girl asked innocently,

"Ate, bakit kailangan ito?" The raven-haired woman replied,

"We don't want to risk someone recognize us, after the incident with Ivy...since you and Yunsung weren't ninjas, this can help you hiding in darkness. Nobody would recognize you with this look,"

"Maganda, Ate! But why don't you help Kuya Yunsung?"

"He said he can do it by himself!" Their conversation was abruptly stopped when someone called,

"Girls, what do you think with my look?" The Korean had finished his face painting, but the result was not like what the others expected. He painted stripes around his face, even putting the paint around both eyes. The stripes close to his mouth resemble whiskers. Nobody spoke for a moment until the young girl broke into giggles,

"Kuya Yunsung, ano bayan? Ikaw parang...parang tigre? Hindi, ikaw parang pusa!" Yunsung was confused with her comments, while Taki tried hard to not laugh.

As the sun sets on the West, Raphael watched the surrounding from the balcony. It was lonely and empty. He had instructed his entire household to leave the mansion temporarily, including Amy and Lumiere. Some protested, but he eventually prevailed. After they gone, Nightmare had summoned Astaroth to come. The golem has been here, but he couldn't find him. He had no idea how a creature that large could hide so well. Then he turned around and went inside. The French patted the Queen's Guard at his waist. Actually, he didn't like to protect Nightmare, yet he had to since the knight had Soul Edge for now. Beside, he would take particular pleasure in killing those who dared to trespass into his mansion for Soul Edge.

Outside, Kilik, Maxi and Xianghua watched the tall iron gates that barred them from the mansion. The surrounding was devoid from anything moved. The young master shook his head,

"It seems they already gone, but I can't shake the feeling that this place isn't entirely empty," The Chinese girl expressed the same sentiment,

"I agree with you, Kilik...beside I saw lights inside the mansion. It means the owner don't leave as well..."

The pirate merely crackled his knuckles,

"Nah, who cares! It will help our job easier. We just enter, ask Astaroth's whereabouts and scram away, what can be go wrong with that?" He turned to the other side,

"Kilik, let's go to the other side!" Xianghua called,

"Why don't try to open the gate first?" Maxi stared to her incredulously,

"Miss Xiang, I think they would not be so foolish to not locking the gate! Come, let's climb the wall!" As they left, the girl muttered only,

"Boys..." She pushed the iron gates, and to her surprise, it swung open. Slipping inside, she smiled mischievously,

"Not foolish enough to forget to lock the gate, ha?" With that, Xianghua walked into the lawn unhindered.

Inside the library, Nightmare sat patiently on a chair. The Soul Edge Zweihander rested beside him. The room was filled with candles. Yet, he was here not for reading, but for something else.

Few miles from the mansion, three tired fighters walked. After few minutes, the demon-masked warrior said,

"I saw a mansion in front of us! Probably we can use some rest there..." However, another people didn't have the same thinking. Unable to restrain his infamous temper at last, Mishima Heihachi stormed to the Manji and spat the furious words,

"That's it! I tired to follow you and pretending to be hero! As always, your decisions lead us from bad to worse and we haven't find any clue about Soul Edge until now! From now on, I will leave you!" The patriarch yelled so vehemently that he inadvertently spit in the ninja's face, yet Yoshimitsu kept calm under such outburst. Mitsurugi watched the battle of will between two of them. Then the masked ninja answered sternly,

"Then go! I won't hold you, if you don't want to follow us anymore..." Heihachi snorted derisively,

"Glad to hear that!" Without wasting time, he left them instantly. Yoshimitsu turned to the ronin,

"Are you going to leave too?" Mitsurugi Heishiro laughed,

"Of course not! In fact, my chance to find Soul Edge became greater without him around..." The Manji didn't answer, instead turning his sight to Raphael's mansion,

"Let's go to the mansion...the sooner we reach it, the better..."

Back to the mansion, Cassandra had replaced her nightgown with a green Teutonic costume that she found at the chair. She didn't like the costume, but that was the only clothing she could find. After that, she found her weapons. The Omega Sword had been chipped in several parts, while the shield was heavily dented. Sweatdropping, she sighed,

"Surely, Sophitia will be mad to me for this...I just hoping she don't kill me yet..." Tucking her weapons, she went to the door and turned the doorknob. The door didn't open. She tried again, and the result was same.

_How? It must be Monsieur Berthine who locked the door! Damn, why are you doing this to me? _ Then she did what she could do best: screaming her whole lung and hit the door!

In another part of the wall, three figures sneaked their way to the wall. Once there, Taki told the Korean and the Filipino,

"I'll jump over this wall first, then both of you will climb, understood?" Then she propelled her slender body to the air, crossing over the wall. Talim watched her with admiration, before Yunsung called her,

"Talim, let's go!" The girl immediately put her left feet at his palm, before she reached the wall. After pulling herself, it was Yunsung's turn to jump the wall. Once landed, he quipped,

"Talim, it seems you're getting heavier..." The girl frowned upon the remark,

"Pasensya ha! Hindi ako taba, no?" The red-haired youth chuckled,

"Come on, you've eat a lot more than me and Taki..." Before she could reply, Taki hushed them sharply,

"Be quiet, do you want to tell everybody here?" Both were silent, and they moved swiftly to the stables.

Meanwhile, Maxi and Kilik hid amongst bushes. It was then when they realized that Xianghua wasn't with them! The pirate complained,

"Damn, where is she?" At that time, the young warrior said,

"Sir, wait at the stables! I will look for her first..." Before Maxi managed to say anything, he already went away.

He saw Xianghua within her sight, but before he even went close to her, someone stopped him,

"I command you for not fleeing." Kilik turned and saw a tall, handsome man behind him. He brandished a long, curved sword that pointed to his chest. He explained,

"Sir, let me explain this..." Raphael cut him sternly,

"Nonsense, you have trespasses my premise and I won't be so gracious with the violation! I will punish you for your recklessness..." He instantly went to the stance of Les Rapiere des Sorel. The young master of Ling-Sheng-Su realized that the French wouldn't heard his words; so he instantly put Kali-Yuga into defensive stance. Before the fight started, he warned again,

"I must tell you this is a mistake, Sir..."

"Nice advice, I must say. Well then, let us dance!" Raphael opened the attack with thrust, but Kilik immediately blocked it by whirling his staff.

At the same time, Yunsung, Taki and Talim treaded slowly inside the stable. Horses neighed panickly, except Satan. Realizing the situation, the Korean said,

"Funny, I feel we aren't alone; someone watching us here..." The Fu-Ma ninja nodded,

"The feeling is mutual, keep watching!" Silently, a huge figure loomed from the shadow and the silent hiss came,

"Destroy all!" However, Talim managed to spot the golem before everyone did. She shouted,

"Ate! Kuya! ILAG!!" She immediately pushed Taki and Yunsung forward, just at the moment Kulutues passed above their head. The ninja recovered immediately, but nothing had prepared her to what before her.

"Astaroth...I thought he was died four years ago..." Failed, the Palgaea's creature turned his attention to the young girl and swung his heavy axe vertically toward her. Talim instinctively pulled Syi Sarika and Cao Ankana to block the attack. The impact thundered her body violently, but she simply ducked away from the next attack, while hissing,

"Higante...Isang higante!" Recovered again, Taki launched Reaping Hook toward Astaroth, while Yunsung followed with horizontal slash. The giant roared,

"Poseidon's Tide!" He swung the Kulutues into a circle, forcing his opponent to dart away from him.

Back to the library, Nightmare still sat, while the silence has become eerie. Suddenly the windows were blown open by an unseen force and puffed the candles off. Afterward, a ghastly laugh came and filled the room. Yet, the knight kept calm and gripped his Soul Edge Zweihander tightly. Slowly but sure, a ghostly figure appeared on the window. It became clearer when it went closer. It was a green-costumed pirate. His face was pale, but the reddish gleam burned inside his eyes. He folded his arm on the chest, while floating on the air. Two short blades circled around his body; one of them had a huge, yellowish eye. Nightmare stared the figure unflinchingly. Then the pirate spoke with cold, mocking voice,

"So, this is where you are hiding? I must say that you have a fine taste," The Azure Knight grunted,

"I assume you must be Cervantes de Leon..." Cervantes cackled delightfully,

"Yes, I am!" He landed softly, without any sound and stared his opponent with utter disdain,

"You know? We probably have the same taste, especially to the blades..." The undead pirate grabbed the Soul Edge Female and shoved the blade in front of him. The knight lifted the Male one in offensive stance. The eyes locked each other and throbbed with ecstasy, like the separated lovers that reunited again. Suddenly, Cervantes spoke regretfully,

"Unfortunately, only one who can hold such blessing and I am the one who deserve to have Soul Edge," Nightmare laughed loudly, before he said with a sneer,

"You? No offense, Cervantes! But you weren't better either. You weren't even _alive_!" The moustache at the pirate's face twitched restlessly upon the remark. Instead, he returned the insult,

"You are only a lowly thief and a second-rate copycat, Nightmare! You stole my blade, when I was weakened after fighting those bitches..." The knight hissed like an angry beast; he shoved his weapon to taunt him,

"You want it back? Then take this from my dead, cold hand if you can!" Cervantes swiftly caught Nirvana and crossed it with Soul Edge in preparation for fight,

"That's what I've waiting for! Shall we dance now?" Sound seemed to cease. The wind became eerily cool and blew noiselessly by their ears. They tensed their legs and struck identical dueling poses. Without wasting time, Nightmare unleashed Quick Backspin Slash toward the pirate. Yet, Cervantes merely slashed forward, while the attack passed him. Before the knight managed to counter, he already slashed the unprotected side. Blood dripped upon the carpet.

The pirate chuckled, "So, you can bleed too...what a disadvantage!"

"I prefer that _you_ die suffering!" Finished his word, the Azure Knight spun around with his Zweihander toward his opponent. The Immortal Pirate blocked the attack by sending Armada Eraser, then ducked and sent a sweep kick toward Nightmare's right feet. The knight stumbled forward, and the pirate attacked with Eternal Curse. He pivoted with one leg, charged Nirvana and slashed forward. The opponent immediately thudded the floor. He was about to follow the attack, when Nightmare shoved a massive sword uppercut. The attack sent Cervantes stagger, and the knight utilized the chance to rise up. Bellowed to his lung, he leaped to the air, while lifting his huge sword to crush the undead's skull. Measuring his chance, the pirate withdrew to the shelves. When the Soul Edge Zweihander almost crushed him, he disappeared instantly from the sight. Nightmare's attack instead hit the shelf, throwing the books into the air. As he controlled himself, the knight sensed danger nearby. He turned upward and saw Cervantes dive toward him with both blades downward. In order to disrupt the attack, he spun the Zweihander in front of him three times. The falling books instantly shredded into pieces. However, the undead immediately shifted his dive attack direction and avoided his attack. As the knight swung its weapon, he guarded himself by putting Nirvana and Soul Edge Female together. The force almost knocked him out, yet he managed to kick Nightmare's side very hard. The knight became furious, and sent Terran Stomper followed by Cross Grounder to his foe. Once again, Cervantes countered it with Dread Slash. The sparks flew everywhere when their weapons impacted. For the final attack, the pirate held both blade parallel and attacked vertically. When Nightmare hit, he stepped forward and shot a fiery blast toward the opponent. The Azure Knight lifted his weapon above his head, ready to greet the blast,

"Reaver!!" His shout was full of exasperation as he brought the Soul Edge with a crushing blow. The result was devastating! He was knocked backward, ripping the carpet. To stop the dragging, Nightmare jabbed the floor with the Zweihander very deep until the floor cracked. For a moment, the silence reigned. The pieces of the paper filled the devastated library. Calmly, Cervantes took a page from the shredded book and commented,

"Too bad, you don't like to read...and I find out this is amusing, since nobody else could withstood toe-to-toe with me," The knight didn't answer; his breath was labored. The Zweihander blinked simultaneously with its counterpart. The duel between two villains had reached its boiling point...only one among them who would come victorious...

"Shall we continue the second round?" As the pirate spoke, his eyes gleamed brighter. In other hand, Nightmare's crimson eyes stared his opponent with utter hate and rage...

Unaware of the fighting, Xianghua entered further into the mansion from the east door. Yet she sensed something,

"I feel a suffocating darkness inside... no doubt, the Soul Edge is here!" Then she heard the sound of banging nearby. She immediately went to the source of the sound and found the door.

"I wonder what is inside here!" She quickly unlocked the door. Suddenly a blond, shorthaired girl with a green costume and Teutonic helmet charged forward with a small shield and sword,

"YAAAAH!!" Both girls screamed simultaneously. The Chinese girl already pulled her sword in order to defend herself. She shouted,

"By Tian! You almost made me got heart attack..." The Greek watched her with suspicion until she asked,

"By Zeus! Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Chai Xianghua, and I'm not your enemy. You are..."

"Cassandra Alexandra, nice to meet you! Did you see Nightmare?" Xianghua surprised,

"He is here?" Ignoring her shock, Cassandra nodded and departed,

"What else? I have to find him or Monsieur Berthine, before something terrible happens," Then the Chinese called her,

"Wait, let me help you, Cassandra! I have unfinished business with Nightmare too," Unsure, Cassandra merely replied,

"Fine, follow me then..."

Inside the stables, Astaroth still had difficulty to get rid his opponents. Whenever he swung his axe, they darted nimbly aside. Among the three, Taki was the only one who could met the golem's attack. Yet, she has to take spaces before attacking again, lest her stamina would be depleted.

"Shadow Split!" Rekki-maru impacted once again with Kulutues, sending the ninja stagger temporarily. When Astaroth whirled the axe again, she quickly pulled Mekki-maru for some punishment,

"Mekki-maru's Darkness!" When two enchanted weapons met, the bright sparks flew everywhere. The ninja quickly distanced herself from her opponent. The golem realized that she was the only one who could meet his attack, thus he made a short conclusion that the others were less experienced than her. He immediately turned to Talim and Yunsung. The girl gulped,

"Lagot..." Astaroth growled,

"I'm gonna tear you apart!" He suddenly sent four consecutive foot stomps that sent the entire building shook. The move also threw the Korean and the Filipino slightly off to their feet. Focusing to Yunsung, he charged him like a bull. Yunsung felt like he was hitting the wall and flew toward the haystack. Before Taki and Talim come for his help, the giant intercepted them with a vertical cross swipe. The young girl ducked to avoid the attack, however the ninja immediately realize the implications,

"Talim, look out!" Talim gasped when Astaroth shifted his swipe into a stabbing movement. Instead block the attack, she immediately dropped her elbow blades and caught the shaft of the axe. The golem swirled his weapon along with the girl and threw her to the stable wall.

Taki screamed, "Talim!!"

The priestess rolled on the air before her body slammed the wooden wall. Instead, she impacted her feet to the wall and sprung herself out. While the girl woozily tried to rise, Astaroth prepared a vertical chop, while smiled evilly,

"I will grind you to death!" Suddenly a mighty kick came from nowhere and sent the golem swaying. His attack was faltered a mere moment, but it was time enough for Talim to rolling away from the danger. Controlled himself, Astaroth turned to his back and saw a swaggering figure,

"Do you remember me, you freak?!" Maxi appeared to his sight, and he whirled his nunchaku calmly. His eyes burned like ember of fire. The golem hissed furiously,

"AGHHHHHHHH! Pretentious little bug!" Without even glancing, the pirate told Taki,

"Leave this to me. He has much to answer for." The ninja nodded and joined her companion who had been already outside. They went instantly to the mansion. Meanwhile, two sworn enemies took their stances before let this epic fight...

In other side, Raphael and Kilik still fought for supremacy. Being skilled in using Kali-Yuga, the young warrior was able to defend himself. Even, the French had difficulty to break through the swirling staff. However, it wasn't impregnable; sometimes he got several cuts from his opponent. Raphael sent infinite stabbage to him. Kilik swirled his staff again, however some managed to cut his clothing. Unexpectedly, the Sorel Master thrust his sword and performed,

"A Lesson in Massacre!" Kilik was shocked when the French grabbed his arm and tripped him. As he landed on the ground, the opponent flipped, landed upon his back and spun 360 degrees before finally kicked him with the right foot. He rolled upon the lawn, while Raphael followed with haughty expression.

"Hmph! It's a perfect position for you. This is reality. Know your place!" Gritted his teeth, the young master rose and spat,

"Is there no other way? Fine!" Then he tripped his staff to the air, before caught it with his right hand. Raphael immediately put his fighting stance, while mocked,

"Huh! Fool, you delude yourself." After saying that, he charged again. This time, Kilik was ready! He whispered gently,

"Light Breeze..." With swift movement, he hit the French with the butt of Kali-Yuga at the chin. When his opponent dazed, he sent a long swipe to the chin to send him upward. Before landed, the young master of Ling-Sheng-Su smashed his foe to the ground. Before Raphael managed to recover, he followed up his attack,

"Phoenix Pounce!" He vaulted the French to the air again and whipped Kali-Yuga vertically, sending the opponent to the ground. Slowly, his staff floated back to his hand. Kilik was about to celebrate his victory, when the French approached him from behind and suddenly put the Queen's Guard under his neck. Raphael spun his body, carrying the young warrior with him. Painfully slow, the curved sword impaled upon Kilik's shoulder. With utter disdain, the Sorel master pulled the sword and let his opponent fell to the ground, while snorted,

"Fool, that is what you deserve for angering me." To his shock, Kilik rose again, though blood dripped from his right shoulder. Yet, he was refused to surrender,

"Forgive me, but I cannot lose to you." Both of them were battered, but they were willing to continue the fight. Raphael clenched his teeth,

"Do you know how to die? You had your chance, but now it's too late." He shoved his sword, in return Kilik put his staff into an offensive.

Return to the stables, one of the horses neighed loudly, but it was cut abruptly when Astaroth cut its body into half. He almost massacred the entire stable, save a creamy-skinned one and Satan, but he couldn't defeat Maxi. The golem sent a sideswipe toward the opponent. The pirate quickly crossed Soryujuu, deflecting the mighty swipe away. He immediately pushed toward his hated opponent and pulled him down. He jumped to the air while whirling his nunchakus. When Astaroth turned his sight above, a powerful smash immediately hit his face and back, forcing him kisses the ground. Maxi gloated,

"What? Can't get up?" The ground was rumbled, when the golem rose up. His eyes burned with unearthly glow. Before he charged again, a powerful force sent him forward to the pirate. Maxi had a comical look of surprise when Astaroth _flew_ to him, but he immediately ducked as the giant hit the wall very hard. As he turned around, his face turned into rage when he saw someone,

"YOU!!" Mishima Heihachi rubbed his knuckles, while walking inside,

"Get lost, you're in my way! I never have an opponent like him..." The pirate shouted angrily,

"He's mine! You have no right to fight him! I'm the one who deserve to kill him!!" The patriarch smirked,

"Well, don't fret! You can find another to replace..." While they argued each other, Astaroth recovered himself and took Kulutues, as he watched those warriors with murderous look. He immediately heaved his axe and put the best position to cut them together. Unfortunately, Maxi spotted it first,

"Look out!" He quickly caught the axe with his nunchaku, while Heihachi used the chance to send his Death Fist at the golem's side. To his dismay, Astaroth didn't feel anything. He didn't even feel stumbled. The giant tried to grab him, instead it was he who grabbed him. They struggled and wrestled each other. Yet Astaroth somehow get resilient; he immediately arose again and bellowed in anger. Maxi and Heihachi stared each other. The pirate quipped,

"Uh-oh, we're in trouble now!" However, the Iron Fist Champion replied,

"Now it's what I call fun!"

Inside the mansion, Taki and the others were wasting no time. Using the Evil Seed, they were led to the right direction. Talim called,

"Ate, the fragment points to the second floor!" Yunsung added,

"For sure, the Sword of Salvation is there!" The ninja nodded and gestured them to the stairs. When she trailed to the staircases, a shadowy figure moved toward them and swung something like sword to her. Instinctively, she pulled Mekki-maru and blocked the attack. Sparks flew and a unearthly scream came out from the enchanted sword. It sensed...divine presence. She recognized the sword...Omega Sword!

Taki went one step backward, when she saw her assailant,

"Sophitia?" Cassandra responded,

"You are the one who saved Sophitia..." Behind her, Xianghua followed. Before she unsheathed her sword and Yunsung did the same, the black-haired woman shouted,

"Stop!" She stared the Greek girl and asked,

"What is your relationship with Sophitia Alexandra?" The young girl answered,

"She's my sister, why do you asking that?" Suddenly the Evil Seed at Talim's hand reverberated again, prompting her to call again,

"Ate, ang Soul Edge nandoon sa tingin ko!" Everyone turned to the library.

"Maelstorm!"

"Windmill!"

Nightmare whirled the Soul Edge Zweihander in two successive slashes, while Cervantes whirled his blades into a tornado-like stance. At that time, the library was completely obliterated. The shredded books filled the room, while the floor cracked and the carpet filled with zigzagging slashes. The Soul Edge weapons impacted each other with the loud bang, yet the eyes were throbbed faster. Their owners were fighting for the supremacy. Then the knight and the pirate were knocked backward by the final impact. Nightmare hit the wooden table and crushed it. However the Immortal Pirate merely floated lightly, like a feather. He smiled,

"Well, you seems little the worse for wear. Shall we locked in an endless battle until Judgment day comes and trumpet sounds?" The Azure Knight growled, instead he locked eyes with him. The next pass they made would be the last -both knew it. One would die, and the other would hold the most powerful sword on the Earth. Then the door was broken open. Gazing left, both combatants saw a group of women entered the library. Cervantes hissed terribly, when he saw the familiar shield and sword,

"The sword and shield ... could that be?" In other place, Nightmare stiffened himself as he recognized someone among the women,

"You..." Meanwhile, the accursed blades watched Omega Sword and Nemea Shield with nervousness. The divine aura of Hephaestus had intimidated them, as well as their owners. The eyes flickered with uncertainty.

Taki instantly went pale when she saw the undead pirate. She was sure that he was died seven years ago. Her lips trembled,

"No...it can't be...he was supposedly dead..." Talim watched the change of expression,

"Ate..." Cassandra also noticed the change and turned to the pirate,

_Is he the one that Sophitia told me through her stories? The original owner of Soul Edge? _ In another hand, Xianghua turned serious as she noticed the knight,

"Nightmare...so you are still alive after all!" Slowly, she unsheathed No Name,

"Don't worry, it'll be over soon."

Cervantes realized that he wasn't prepared to face the bane of Soul Edge right now; his power was spent to fight Nightmare. He turned to the knight,

"I think we should continue our duel at the better time and place...name your place!" Without hesitation, the knight spoke,

"Osthreinsburg Chapel!" The pirate nodded,

"I'll be there...if you want this!" He showed the Soul Edge Female, "Don't forget to bring yours as well!" Suddenly the mist surrounded him and rolled out from the room without anyone tried to stop it. Nightmare watched the mist vanished, then he turned to the warriors. Like awaken from the sleep, Taki took the fighting stance, followed by Cassandra, Xianghua, Talim and Yunsung. Instead attacking them, the knight turned around and jumped to the first floor. Before hit the marble floor, he drove the Zweihander to prevent his fall. The loud clanging echoed into the entire mansion. The ninja and the Chinese immediately followed him by jumping to the floor as well, however the rest had to trailed the staircase again. Xianghua shouted,

"Nightmare! We still have unfinished business! Fight me!" Ignoring her, the Azure Knight went to the front door and crashed it with his deformed right hand.

Fight between Raphael and Kilik was abruptly stopped when Nightmare appeared before them. The young master hissed,

"Nightmare..." The French was stunned,

"Sir Nightmare..."The knight jabbed his weapon to the floor and he whistled...

Heeding his master's signal, Satan neighed and lifted his hoofs to crush the wooden gate that barred him. Instantly, the battle between Astaroth, Heihachi and Maxi was stopped as the huge black stallion strode outside. The golem realized that Nightmare would soon departed. With all his unholy strength, he mowed the ramparts of the stable and brought it toward his opponents. When the ramparts flew, the Mishima patriarch sent his invincible knuckles,

"Wind God Fist!" The wood splinter showered the place, when it subsidized Astaroth was nowhere to seen. The pirate roared with fury,

"ASTAROTH!!!" He quickly ran outside to pursue the Palgaea's creation, while Heihachi merely followed him with a relaxed manner.

Spotting his steed, Nightmare ran closer to Satan and caught its neck. Like a skilled equestrian, he lifted himself to the stallion's back and turned around to snatch Soul Edge. He stirrup his steed, breaking between Kilik and Raphael. The young Sorel whistled, then turned to his opponent,

"Another time, my friend," He grinned as the cream-skinned horse passed and he jumped upon it, "Only a fool fights in a burning house..." The warrior watched helplessly as the riders vanished beyond the gates.

"Kilik..." He turned around and saw Xianghua standing at the broken doors, along with the others. His heart leaped with joy,

"Xiang!"

Close to the mansion, Mitsurugi and Yoshimitsu walked to their destination. Suddenly the Manji stopped. The ronin was surprised to see the change and he asked,

"What's wrong?" Yoshimitsu didn't answer, but he sensed his beloved katana reverberated.

"Someone's coming toward our direction... be prepared!" Slowly, he took the 'battou' stance as the hooves thundered to their direction. Mitsurugi took a distance from his companion. Then the black stallion neighed as it sensed someone in front, and Nightmare cocked it to see who dared to block him. The ninja spoke,

"I presume you're Nightmare the Azure Knight...you shall not pass me!" The knight retorted,

"As much as I want to slay you, warrior! However, I don't have time to parley with you now! I have something important to do!!"

"Ridiculous! May there be mercy on your soul!" Immediately, Yoshimitsu unsheathed his katana and lifted it parallel to his face. Nightmare growled with displeasure, he stirrup Satan and prepared himself for the charging stance,

"Do you want to die that badly? I will show you the greatest nightmare." Then he rode the huge stallion toward the Manji. Instead afraid, the ninja ran toward them with the katana lifted, while shouting,

"Izo izo izo izo izo IIIZOOO!"

"Buster Grounder!" The knight slashed vertically toward Yoshimitsu, then followed by a sweeping low horizontal that could cut anyone in two. To his surprise, the ninja teleported out from his attack and appeared behind him. Yet, he didn't pursue him and instead continued his ride, while shouting,

"If you are want to die, come to Osthreinsburg Chapel!" The Manji merely stood silently as they vanished from his sight. The ronin asked,

"Why don't you follow him? You can easily beat him..." Yoshimitsu sighed,

"He has more advantage than me upon the horse, beside we haven't rested yet! Let's go to the mansion, probably we can get something..." Mitsurugi could only shook his head; he couldn't understood the ninja's way of thinking. They continued to walk toward the mansion.

On the nearby hill, Ivy watched everything through her telescope. Even he spotted Raphael pacing his steed to follow Nightmare. Folding the telescope, she shook her head and commented,

"You are a damn good liar that I've ever met, Monsieur Berthine..." The Englishwoman still wore her revealing costume, added with white cloak. She turned to her white mare and rode it away,

"I believe you will be skulking back to where it had started before, Nightmare..." Her cold, sneering smile appeared,

"...and I'll be waiting you there and settle our account!"

Few meters from their place, Sophitia and her companions still continued their walk. Then the Korean girl complained,

"Sophie, can we take rest for a while? My foot is tired..." The blond-haired woman turned with annoyed face,

"This is the third time you've asked rest, Mina! Could you hold it for a second?" The Hylian lifted his hand,

"Excuse me, Princess Sophitia. Actually Miss Mina had asked you about sixth time, yet you're ignoring her," The Greek shouted to them aloud,

"We can't waste time here! Cassandra might be in danger!!" She turned around, ready to leave them,

"If you don't want to go with me, I can go by myself!" Seung Mina and Link was stunned to hear Sophitia's outburst. The braided girl called her,

"Sophie, I'm sorry for that...I don't know that you're worrying your sister," Sophita felt ashamed with her attitude,

"I'm apologize for my outburst," she said, "I was worrying Cassandra..." The elf remarked,

"We are your friends, Princess...probably it doesn't hurt to walk for one miles again, so we can help your sister. Right, Miss Mina?" Mina nodded with agreement. The Greek was touched with their willingness and she said to them,

"Thanks..." Not for long, Link shouted,

"Princess, look to your right!" Sophitia turned and saw a rider with azure armor riding the huge stallion below. His red hair flew on the air, like a living flame. Immediately, she recognized the rider,

"Nightmare!" Instantly, Mina went to her with puzzling expression,

"Is it he? What is he doing here?" Link continued,

"For sure, he hold the Soul Edge...Princess, we must pursue him now!" The Greek shook her head,

"No, he came from that direction! We will found out what is there...come, there is no time to waste!" They quickly paced their walk toward the mansion.

Among the trees, Charade watched what transpired at the lawn. Its core throbbed with excitement, as it sensed its counterparts nearby...soon they would be one...!

Author's note: O.K. Here is the much-awaited chapter! Now all the warriors have gathered here. Yet, there was still some problem to be resolved, especially between Cassandra-Sophitia and Yunsung-Seung Mina. New groupings shall be formed, while the quest for the Soul Edge continued. Wait in the next chapter, 'The Last Arguments'.

Again, thanks for Lysander's suggestion about Cassandra's costume. I appreciate it very much. For some reason, I can't use Valkyrie set right now. Just wait the chapter to know why. I wish I could use Adrian for the final setting, yet Osthreinsburg Chapel always the final place for Soul Calibur II. Critics, reviews (and flames) are accepted, don't worry! See you next time!

Glossary:

bakit kailangan ito? (Why do we need this?)

ano bayan? (What is that?)

ikaw parang (You looks like...)

tigre (Tiger)

pusa (Cat)

Pasensya ha!(I beg you pardon)

Hindi ako taba (I'm not fat)

Ilag (Watch out!)

Higante (Giant)

Lagot (Surprised expression, probably equivalent with 'Damn')

nandoon sa tingin ko (I think it is there...)


	10. The Last Arguments

The Last Arguments

The sun shone over the abandoned mansion, notwithstanding the fight was occurred there. While the others scoured it's surrounding for signs of Nightmare and Astaroth, Kilik sat on the stairs. The young priestess skillfully tended his wounds. Not for long, she patted his shoulder,

"Kuya, aayos na sugat mo ngayon," The young master turned around, smiling,

"Thanks…" Talim merely smiled. From other direction, Xianghua came to their place. Realizing that, Talim said,

"Alis muna ako, kuya! Siguro hinahanap ako si Ate Taki…" Kilik nodded only, as the young girl departed. The Chinese girl watched her, before turning her attention to him,

"I must say that she's quite pretty…" The master of Ling-Sheng-Su replied,

"She took care my wounds; there's nothing wrong in that," Staring her straight, he quipped,

"I sense a hint of jealousy in your words, am I right?" Xianghua chuckled,

"Oh, I just kidding only and you are becoming serious?" They laughed for a while, until he asked again,

"Did you find Maxi?" The girl sat beside him, sighing,

"No, I can't find him. No doubt, he must be pursuing Astaroth and Nightmare," Kilik leaned beside Kali-Yuga,

"I hope he'll be all right; probably we might meet at Osthreinsburg Castle…the place where everything started," The young girl nodded in agreement. She watched his bandaged shoulder, where the blood soaked it slightly.

"Are you all right, Kilik? You're hurt…" He touched his shoulder,

"I'm fine, Xiang. I don't expect that Frenchman attacking me, while I'm following you…"

"Why are you following me?" Slowly, the youth's face blushed. He stammered,

"I…I was worrying you, Xiang…when you're not with us," The Chinese girl shook her head, as she smiled slyly,

"Silly, you could've been killed! Would you go so willingly to your death?" In a split second, the cold face of Xianglian passed upon Kilik's mind. He answered silently,

"For you, Xiang, anything." Xianghua was stunned with his answer, yet she realized that he was starting to open himself. Then she kissed his right cheek lightly,

"Thanks for worrying me," Kilik turned to her with disbelief. He wanted to say something that he kept within so long. For a moment, they were staring each other. His lips was quivered, trying to say words,

"Xiang, there is something I must say to you…"

Suddenly, Cassandra appeared to them, "Xianghua!" The Chinese girl immediately turned to her,

"Cassie, what's up?" The Greek went closer to them,

"I can't find Monsieur Berthine and Nightmare. They were gone…er, did I bother you?"

Kilik remarked cynically, "You don't know how close you are…" At the same time, Yunsung, Taki and Talim came. The nuke-nin said,

"They had already gone…even Astaroth!" The Korean grumbled,

"Yes, along with Sword of Salvation!" Xianghua rose from the stairs,

"How could we find them now? Where are they going?" A voice full of authority rang upon them,

"Nightmare said we can meet him at Osthreinsburg Castle!" Everybody turned around and saw two figures stood in front of them; Yoshimitsu and Heishiro Mitsurugi. The ronin immediately recognized Taki,

"You again? I've had enough of you!" The pony-tailed woman replied mockingly,

"Heh, Haven't you had enough?" Just before Mitsurugi pulled Shishi-Oh, the Manji held him,

"Stop, we come here not to fight each other!" Then someone else came,

"Cassandra!" The younger Alexandra shocked to see her older sister,

"Sis? What are you doing here?" Sophitia answered,

"I realized that I have to deal with this." Meanwhile, Yunsung has become nervous as she recognized someone among the band. Before he went, Seung Mina already blocked his way and caught his ear,

"This time, you won't go anywhere, Hong Yunsung!" The red-haired youth cringed in pain,

"Ouch! It's hurt, Mina!" Suddenly, someone brushed them apart. It was Talim!

"Pakiwalan mo si Kuya Yunsung! Sino ka?" The Korean girl looks surprised, before she smiled mischievously,

"Aba, we didn't see each other about one and a half month and you already had a girlfriend…are you already growing up?" Yunsung shouted vehemently.

"She is NOT my girlfriend!" Link watched the arguments between them incredulously; he really didn't have a clue. Soon, everything turned into a pandemonium until a loud voice broke them,

"BE QUIET!!!" Everyone turned to Yoshimitsu, who merely folded his arms,

"Seems we've stumbled upon some confusion here! Maybe some explanation is in order…" Taki nodded,

"You're right, Yoshimitsu-san. Perhaps we should find a better place to clear this matter,"

Far from their place, Maxi and Heihachi traveled the rugged terrain to look for Astaroth. However, there were no signs from the golem. Fumed, the pirate pointed his finger to the erstwhile companion,

"This is your fault! If you weren't interfering, I would kill Astaroth by myself!" The patriarch merely laughed,

"Hah, huh, hah, huh, hah! Don't whining; it is not my fault that you can't kill the brute! You are simply too slow for me…" Felt insulted, Maxi pulled his nunchaku and shouted,

"Come on! Let's finish this!" Heihachi immediately put his usual stance,

"With my pleasure…" Suddenly, a gentle voice broke them,

"Gentlemen, I believe this can be settled peacefully…" They turned and saw Ivy standing between them.

The pirate muttered, "Who are you? What do you want this time?" The Iron Fist Champion cut him,

"Are you a friend or foe?" Smiling coldly, the Englishwoman answered,

"If you think that I still in the same company with the golem, you're mistaken…I already left them 4 years ago," Her golden eyes glittered slightly, "Now I'm hunting them like what you do now…" She went closer to Maxi, while Heihachi intrigued with her. Ivy said,

"It is surprising that you've forgotten me completely…" Maxi frowned,

"You look familiar…but I can't recall where we met…" She turned in disdain,

"Nevermind…warrior, I have a proposition!" The old warrior merely barked,

"Name it!" She walked toward Heihachi and pressed her voluptuous body to his well-muscled figure, while smiling seductively,

"I know where Nightmare is…join me and you will have everything you wanted," She deliberately shoved her 'assets' to the patriarch. Heihachi couldn't help to staring at her beauty, yet lust was second to his passion for fighting. Then Maxi asked,

"Why should we trust you?" Annoyed, the woman turned around and answered,

"Trust, you see, cannot always be earned. Sometimes mutual suspicion is enough," Distanced slightly from Heihachi, she continued,

"We have no choice, but to be true to one another," Then the patriarch hugged her closer to him,

"Bah, I accept her proposition! Why should we miss the company of such beautiful woman like her?" In turn, Ivy caressed his broad chest tenderly,

"I'm yours, great warrior, as long as you will help me fight Nightmare…" Inside, Maxi disgusted to see how Ivy manipulated Heihachi, but in another hand, her help would be valuable to find the golem, thus he could exact his well-deserved vengeance. He replied,

"Fine, count me in!"

Four hours later, at the abandoned farm house,

The warriors gathered in a barn and began to exchange stories about Soul Edge, Nightmare and Astaroth. Taki got the first turn, then followed by Kilik, Xianghua and closed by Sophitia. Yoshimitsu merely nodded, while he listened their stories. Mitsurugi sometimes frowned or twitched his eyes. Cassandra, Talim and Link heard attentively to the story. Yunsung looks restless; especially Mina kept close watch upon him. Then the Manji said,

"Now I know more about the Soul Edge…and I feel compelled to get rid such weapon from this world,"

Taki added, "It is our duty to remove the evil once and for all…Would you join us, Yoshimitsu-san?"

"You can count on my sword, Yoshimitsu! I'll be glad to have parley with Nightmare or Inferno…"

Kilik continued, "Though we don't have Soul Calibur anymore, we still have Kali-Yuga…"

Xianghua didn't want to lose, "You can rely on me…we shall defeat Nightmare for good!"

"Me too!" Everyone turned to Cassandra and Yunsung who shouted simultaneously.

Sophitia replied, "No, Cassandra! It is too dangerous! You'll go home to Athena right now…" Look of disappointment was oblivious to the younger Alexandra's face. She shouted,

"It is not fair! Why is always you who faced the danger? Do you think father and mother worries you as much as I do?" Sighed, the elder sister answered,

"That's not the case, Cassandra! I was chosen by Hephaestus for this mission…" Strode forward, Cassandra raised her voice,

"So am I!" Now the sisters stared eye to eye, while everyone was silent. Xianghua leaned closer to her friend, while Taki watched them closely. Yunsung want to support her, but he must face Mina first to do so. Judging from his experience, which would be the last thing he could think of. Sophitia spoke again,

"Have you forgotten how close you are to death? Nightmare wouldn't spare you, had the Frenchman not intervened!" A bitter taste appeared in Kilik's mouth, as he heard about Raphael. Instead rebuffed, the young girl continued,

"Yes, but I have learned my lessons well! I believe I can beat Nightmare this time!"

"Have you learned enough? I can't let you go this time, Cassandra! Not as long as I still breathed!" Then Cassandra pointed her Omega Sword to her sister, while declaring,

"I challenge you to fight, Sophitia Alexandra! Only you and me!" Talim and Xianghua gasped, while the rest still silent. The ninja merely slapped her forehead. The Greek woman shocked to hear the words, however she immediately controlled herself. She stared her sister straight dead; her tone was cold and steely this time,

"Are you sure of this, Cassandra? Whoever loses, one of us will go back to Athena without haste…do you agree with that?" Slightly faltered but unable to acknowledge it, the younger Alexandra answered,

"Yes, I agree!" Picking Omega Sword and Elk Shield, Sophitia went into the house, while turning to the short-cropped girl,

"Wait me outside at noon…" Her voice slightly lower, "…you should not do this, Cassandra," As her sister went out, Cassandra went to another direction. Xianghua called,

"Cassie!" Then Taki said,

"Follow her, I'll check Sophitia…" The Chinese girl and the ninja parted way. Seung Mina motioned the red-haired youth to go outside. Though puzzled, he obeyed and went outside. Talim wished to follow them, but she still felt strange with others. Beside, it would be wiser to not interfering them right now. Link still didn't get the clue about this. The grizzled ronin commented,

"This keeps better and…better…"

Taki followed the Greek into a vacant room. Once inside, Sophitia didn't waste anytime to vent her outburst. She slashed aimlessly to the air and kicked the chairs away. The ninja waited patiently until she finished. After calming down, she put her sword and shield gently on the table. Then the pony-haired woman spoke,

"You don't have to do that; she's still young and hot-headed…" The blond-haired woman replied,

"Do you think I don't know that? She might be my sister, but what she does awhile ago has offended me! Challenging her own sister in front of many people…how dare she is," Went closer, Taki said,

"So, your pride is more important than your relationship as a sister?" Sensed a hint of sarcasm, Sophitia shouted aloud to her,

"Who do you think I am? I _love_ my sister very much, Taki! I love her too much to lose her…that's why I must do this to her! To teach her a lesson that she'll never forget…" She went to the window,

"My children's life was on the thread as we speak here…I must destroy Soul Edge or else, everything that I loved dearly, lost to that damned sword! However, I won't let Cassandra to bear such burden; she is too young to understand that!" Coughed slightly, the ninja was waiting her companion to speak. After a moment, nobody spoke until she said,

"Cervantes's still alive…" Without turning back, Sophitia replied,

"I know…I have seen that in my vision! Now you begin to understand why I have to do this…I won't have Cassandra to suffer the same ordeal. Because I love her that I have to show her the error of her way…"

"How about us then?" The blond-haired woman turned to her, and then walked to the table. At the same time, the sunshine shone through the window and fell upon her, making her blond hair glowed like gold. She said slowly,

"Time has changed, Taki. I've grown up since you last knew me… I already married and have a family. We wish we could turn the time back…" Now the pony-haired woman was close to her and said,

"All of us have, but old habits die harder…" With sudden movement, she held Sophitia's chin and locked lips with her, kissing with passion. The younger woman struggled for air as their tongues locked each other, but then slightly gave in and allowed the older woman to finish. In fact, she felt thrilled. She clenched her hands into knuckles. After finished, Taki distanced and the Greek slapped her very hard. Sophitia's eyes flickered with anger as she stared the ninja. Instead retaliating, the pony-haired woman only caressed her reddened face. She spoke again,

"I may deserve this, but know this, Sophitia. I won't stop loving you no matter who you are now; the only way to stop me for loving you is put your sword into my heart. Even so, it won't stop me for loving you…I won't forget the moment we kissed each other last time…" As the nuke-nin ready to leave her, Sophitia called her,

"Wait!" She held the raven-haired woman and said,

"Why not repeat the moment again?" This time, it was her turn to kiss the ninja. They kissed and hugged each other once more, now with more strength; more force…more passion. Consumed by their own passion, they moved to the table and continued there. Sophitia pulled the jumpsuit slightly, while Taki lifted the Greek's skirt slightly. They almost blind to their surrounding until the door creaked and opened, showing someone…

Sophita shocked, "Link…" Instinctively, she and Taki distanced away, while the elf froze with what he witnessed. Both women have disheveled hair and costume; it didn't hard to figure out what happened. For a minute, an uneasy silence reigned. Then Link spoke shakily,

"Excuse me…I think I was in the wrong room…sorry for disturbing you…" He immediately left them, before Sophitia could call her. Turning slightly to the ninja, the blond-haired woman said,

"Taki, excuse me! I will clear this thing out first…" The pony-haired woman nodded. Once her companion went outside, she savored the moment they were together, caressing her wet lips. Sighed, Taki adjusted her jumpsuit again and disappeared from the room.

Not for long, Sophitia caught the elf in the corridor of the house. She took his left arm,

"Link, would you listening me first…" With suddenness, he brushed her rudely and stared her with a look of disbelief and pain. The Greek felt that she was judged by him. Then he stammered, something unusual for him,

"Princess…Sophitia, I am coming to cheer you up; never expecting to see that…"

"Truthfully, I was shocked to see what you do…that is not common in my place, Hyrule! I thought you trusted me!" Unable to comprehend his conflicting emotion, he punched the nearby wall very hard, followed with hitting his head to the wall. Sophitia quickly pulled him away, shouting,

"Stop, Link! You're hurting yourself!" The elf stopped and turned to her; this time his eyes looked serene. He said,

"But I _do_ believe one thing; that love can take many forms to manifest no matter it looks. True, I love you as my closest friend, Princess Sophitia, however my heart is belongs to Zelda…don't worry, your secret is safe with me…" The Greek stunned to hear those words, yet she smiled,

"I'm sorry, Link to not telling you this…thanks for understanding this, you're truly a friend!" She hugged and kissed him, that made the elf blushed. He stammered again,

"Er, thanks…by the way, your sister has waiting you outside…" Then he left her alone.

Taki flipped from the ceiling with head down, "I must say that he is very sportive to accept the fact. I might fall over to him…" Sophitia smiled slyly,

"Are you teasing me? Link is just a friend…unlike you," The Shadow Huntress of Demons leaped downward and landed with her feet. She patted the younger woman,

"Come, you have a business to attend…" They went outside together.

Meanwhile, Xianghua walked hesitantly to the nearby room. A choked voice came,

"Come in, the door is not locked…" She went inside and found Cassandra crying. Nemea Shield and Omega Sword lay beside her. The Chinese girl asked gently,

"Are you all right, Cassie?" Wiping her remaining tears, The Greek said,

"I'm fine, Xiang…I just can't believe I challenged my own sister in front of you…"

"What do you talking? I thought you want to do this…" The short-cropped girl sniffed,

"When we were little children, we used to be to play the mock battle…she pretended to be Achilles and I'm Patroclus. Sometimes we challenged each other and of course, she always wins due to the bigger size…" The girls chuckled,

"After we grew up, she became convinced that Hephaestus had chosen her to carry a holy mission. Nobody but me believed her. When she disappeared for the first time, I convinced myself that she would be all right. My belief was shattered when I saw her half-dying upon our house. I saw the Asian woman helped her and extracting something from her chest. Since then, I feared that she won't returned again someday,"

"When the Evil Seed appeared again, I can't hold my anger toward the gods! How could they let this happened to my sister? She had enough for this…that's why I stole these weapons and went to find the accursed sword!" Sighed, Cassandra continued,

"It never pass to me that I have to fight her for stopping her…I can't expect to win, since she's more experienced than me," Xianghua quipped,

"You can still apologize to her…" The girl startled,

"Yes, I can but she won't back down from the fight! For the Greeks, to withdraw from a duel is considered cowardice and I can't turn back from the fight…what troubles that I've invite for my self!" Strengthened herself, she picked the sword and shield again. Turning to her friend, Cassandra gave a forced smile,

"Come, let's finish this once and for all!" Xianghua breathed out,

"It is lucky that I don't have a sister…what a trouble!" They came out from the room.

In another place, Seung Mina and Yunsung walked along the secluded place. The reddish-orange leaves covered the moist ground, while the bird chirped. She bore the Scarlet Thunder behind her back, while the red-haired youth followed from behind. For a moment, they didn't speak to each other until she broke the silence,

"Do you remember when you enrolled into the dojo for the first time?" Yunsung nodded uneasily,

"Yes, I was 14 years old then…and you're…" Mina replied,

"Nineteen…though my father accepted you, I wasn't impressed with you at that time…"

"That's why you fight me then…with a broom!" The Korean girl chuckled,

"Ah, yes! You were practicing at that time with a child's sword, while I swept the courtyard. I was punished at that time," She glanced to the youth, "And you mistook me as a servant," Yunsung grinned,

"Yes, I was foolish to challenge you at that time and eventually know better than doing that!" Mina lowered her zanbatou and scratched the ground with that,

"The time passed very fast, both of us has grown up," She tossed the White Storm to him; it was startled him,

"What are you doing, Mina? I thought you will drag me home…" Seung Han Myoung's daughter smiled,

"You want to find the Sword of Salvation to prove yourself to Hwang, and then I give the same thing that he gave me four years ago…" She pointed the weapon to him,

"Prove yourself and I'll let you continue your quest…"

Back to the abandoned farm,

Everyone had waited outside. Talim sat on the ground, while Yoshimitsu and Mitsurugi stood their ground. Kilik crouched nearby the priestess. Link had climbed the tree and sat upon its branch. Then Sophitia and Taki came out from the house. The young girl cheered,

"Ate Taki!" The ninja smiled in return. At the same time, Cassandra and Xianghua appeared from the other side. While her sister's face looks grim, the younger girl looked uneasy. After few steps later, the sisters faced each other and brandished their weapons. The Chinese girl whispered an encouragement,

"Cassie, do your best…win or lose, you already do the best…" The Greek nodded,

"Thanks, Xiang…" In other side, Taki reminded,

"Don't too hard on her; she's still your sister…" The blond-haired woman replied tartly,

"I know what I am doing," Afterward, they left the sisters alone. The ninja took her place beside Talim, while Xianghua sat beside Kilik. The gentle wind strokes the sisters' hair, while both gripped their Omega Sword and Nemea/Elk Shield. Sophitia asked her sister,

"Are you sure for this, Cassandra? There is no way back…" The younger girl nodded,

"Yes! Time is short. Let's begin."

"I agree!" Without warning, the older woman put her sword in front of her shield, reflecting the sunshine toward the opponent. Cassandra was taken by surprise and instinctively covered her eyes. As she did that, her sister already moved to kill. Sophitia sent a long swipe toward her sister, yet immediately blocked. Not wasting the time, the young girl pushed her way toward the opponent. Instead countered, Sophitia merely sidestepped the attack and took the safer distance. She saw her beloved sister charged to her and sent a singular horizontal slash. When she brought Nemea Shield, the loud shake rattled her left arm. To her surprise, Cassandra immediately sent a quick spin kick toward her. Gritting her teeth, the older woman retreated again. Her opponent didn't pursue her.

"Not bad, Cassandra…is it my style or yours?"

"Yours, but I have practiced my own recently…" Deep inside, Sophitia felt proud with her sister's achievements. Yet, she must win this time,

"Be careful, you might be hurt!" Shouting her battle cry, she juggled twice on the air, trying to catch her sister off guard. Instead waiting her on the air, Cassandra kept waiting until her sister landed on the ground. Once landed, it was her turn! She crouched and swipe toward her opponent. However, Sophitia had expected that. She quickly rolled away. The younger girl pursued her immediately. The elder woman stopped and this time counterattacked by charging. Before they could connect, the short-haired girl crouched, and then dashed forward to her sister. Surprised, Sophita was pushed backward. She slashed horizontally to break the dash, but her sister anticipated it by raising the shield. She suddenly slammed her shield toward Sophitia, who was taken aback. The opponents distanced themselves again. The elder Alexandra shouted,

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Cassandra nodded,

"I'll do the best I can!" They charged once more and continued to put each other on defensive. This time, Sophitia juggled again and spun herself to sudden attack. Her sister immediately swept the sword upon her ankle. Yet, it was avoided perfectly. The older woman swung her sword to the unguarded part, only to hit the wind. In return, Cassandra sent her 'cheerleader kick' toward her sister. It really hit Sophitia exactly at the chin. Everyone gasped, including the younger Alexandra. She didn't expect her attack would hit. The older woman touched her pained chin, and licked her lips. It tasted salty…a tinge of blood appeared.

"Oh, Sophitia…I'm terribly…" Sophitia stopped her sister's apology,

"It's all right, I'm not careful enough…now let's continue our duel!"

Talim watched the fight between them worriedly; she turned to the Fu-Ma who stood like a statue,

"Ate Taki, bakit hindi ka pipigilan sila?" Taki answered resignedly,

"I try, but both of them won't listen to me…" Suddenly, Yoshimitsu spoke,

"Nobody can, young girl! From the immemorial time, the Greek considered honor and glory as its utmost virtue. Stopping them from fighting will only give them embarrassment…and they didn't take it kindly." The girl shocked, as she turned to the fight again,

"Only one who can prevail in this fight, no matter how close their relationship…" However, Mitsurugi only yawned. He went to the nearby tree and lay there. The ninja commented,

"What are you doing? It is too early to take a nap now!" The ronin answered,

"It is boring to watching girl's fight; I'd better off sleep. Wake me when they were finished…" Few seconds later, he already snored.

Taki muttered, "Men…no wonder you can't even beat me…"

Meanwhile, another fight raged not far from the farm.

"Biting Strike!" Seung Mina swept her zanbatou below, tripping Yunsung to the ground. Before she followed up her strike, the youth quickly rolled away and lifted his saber in defensive stance. The Korean girl merely pointed her weapon in manner of a billiard player,

"Not bad, I saw some improvement. However, the question is: will it be enough to let you beat me?" The red-haired youth replied,

"Any time you're ready!" Mina smirked,

"I think you need a bit more practice." This time, she sent Strangling Slash. Yunsung immediately lowered his stance and suddenly charging, thus blocking the attack. The block sent Mina staggered, yet she quickly countered it with:

"Gale Cross!" She leaped very high, and then slapped her opponent's kidney with the end of her zanbatou. The youth cringed in pain. Mina used the chance to send a chest stab. Yunsung recognized the style as Thrusting Fang. Instead blocking, he sidestepped the attack, allowing the overhead slash pass over. To his surprise, she tilted her body leftward, lowering the slash to him! He quickly blocked the attack and staggered backward. She shouted,

"Beware, Yunsung! Lifting Heavens!!" She started an uppercut slash toward him, which blocked. Yet she started juggling in the air and slashed overhead again. Tired of being punchbag, Yunsung roared and sent three slashes: horizontal, vertical and diagonal. The slashes impacted violently, sending both reeling backward. Without waiting, she swirled her zanbatou toward the opponent. Yunsung's mind raced,

_Heavy Crane! I have seen this…and I think I know how to beat her…_ He instead blocked the swirl, feigning defeat. Mina smiled to this turn of fortune,

"Is that all you've got? You left yourself open!" The youth didn't answer; however he noticed the swing intensely. After the momentum of the swing slightly slowed, he shouted aloud,

"Take this... haaaa!" Like a lightning, Yunsung spun himself forward and Mina couldn't even react when he planted his right boot into her stomach. Like a slow motion, she felt her body flew turnaround before slamming the ground facedown. This angered her to the core,

"That makes me mad! Look like I'll have to teach you a lesson." Shouting aloud, she swung her weapon with all strength, however it opened her defense. Not wanting to waste the chance, Yunsung grabbed Mina's braided hair and pulled her to his side. Instead using the sharp edge of saber, he hit her midsection with the pommel very hard. He could even hear the air came out from her lungs. As she fell to the ground, he stepped the pommel further with his left foot, thus hit her stomach very hard. The Korean girl screamed in pain, throwing her zanbatou off. Yunsung distanced himself from her. The look of pain was evident in her face, while holding her abdomen. Tears rolled upon her eyes. The youth didn't elated with his victory, instead he felt pang of remorse for hurting her master's daughter…and sometimes friend. Shakily, he said,

"Mina…I really sorry! I don't mean to hurt you…" Though still hurt, Seung Han's daughter raised herself, while caressing her injured abdomen,

"I can't believe this! You're the second man who beaten me after Hwang…" She stared the youth who still trying to avoid her. Sighed, she said,

"You won fairly…go ahead." Startled, Yunsung asked again,

"You're kidding! It means I can go now…to look for the Sword of Salvation," Mina took a deep breath and sighed again,

"Probably it is not my destiny to going out…first, Ivy had beaten me…Hwang and then…you. Am I doomed to stay in Choson for good?" The red-haired youth spoke,

"Ivy has beaten me as well…I was learning from my experience, but I…I don't expect to beat you…"

"Father would be proud to know your improvement…and I think Hwang too." She said, still looking away,

"Go, Yunsung…follow your destiny! My journey has ended here, but your journey is just begun…" Yunsung immediately offered his salute to her,

"Thanks, Mina! I won't forget this…I promise I will be back with Sword of Salvation!" Then he left her alone. Wiping her remaining tears, she muttered again,

"How can this be? No way!" As Seung Mina left the place, a single, keen eye watched what happened there. Soon, it would put everything in practice…

Swords impacted; shields clanged each other. The Alexandras still haven't finished yet, as the sun rose above them. Sophitia sent a roundhouse kick, yet blocked by her sister effectively. She immediately followed with a horizontal slash. Once again, Cassandra blocked it. Both women panted; they almost reach the limit of their endurance. Sweats made their clothes stick to their body. Xianghua, Link and Talim held their breath, while Yoshimitsu, Kilik and Taki still stood their ground. The younger girl whispered between his gasping breaths,

"Sophitia..." In other side, Sophitia replied, though she was exhausted as well,

"I want to save you, Cassandra…you don't have to doing this. This supposedly _my_ duty, not yours…" Cassandra hunched her head, allowing strands of her hair fell. She answered,

"I'm sorry Sis, but I have to see things through to the end."

"I'll give it all I've got." After saying that, the older woman juggled on the air. Cassandra didn't wait; she leaped to the air as well. The loud clang heard when their shield impacted. Sophitia was taken aback with her sister's movement. She immediately has driven back to the ground. When she tried to stop it with her right leg, it was strained and pain crept to her sensation. Yet, she refused to give up. Not realizing her sister's condition, Cassandra jumped over her opponent, juggled thrice on the air before throwing Nemea Shield. Sophitia barely had a time for blocking it with her own Nemea Shield, but the strain on her right leg was too much. Unable to keep balance, she fell to the ground. Immediately her sister fell close to her and put the Omega Sword to her neck. Everyone was stunned. Cassandra was about to celebrate her success, if she didn't saw her sister's Omega Sword pointing to her ribs. In other hand, they were at mercy of each other. One twitch and it shall be over. Those who watched were waiting the duelists' decision. She stared Sophitia's eyes,

"Sister..." Sophitia watched her sister dearly; her face was softened. No matter how she tries, she couldn't break the decision: The gods indeed had chosen Cassandra as their messenger, not her. Her time had passed long time ago, now it was her sister's time. She sighed,

"May the Gods be praised.…" By then, she let her sword off. Cassandra was transfixed with that,

"Sophitia…" The older woman answered calmly,

"It is Hephaestus' decisions that you shall be my successor for destroying the Soul Edge…you're the only hope for Patroklos and Pyrrha…" The younger woman rose and offered her hand to her sister. Sophtia accepted and pulled herself from the ground. She stared Cassandra intently and smiled,

"I have forgotten that you are already growing now…Cassandra!" The younger sister couldn't held her emotion anymore,

"Sophitia!" Dropping their weapons, the sisters hugged each other. Yoshimitsu applauded, while Talim took a breath. Xianghua and Taki immediately went to their friends. Sophitia turned and saw the ninja smiled approvingly. She merely smiled back. Xianghua commented,

"What a fabulous fight! Someday we can have a friendly fight between us…" Cassandra replied,

"Don't push your luck too hard, Xiang…" At the same time, Yunsung and Seung Mina appeared. Talim was excited when she saw the youth,

"Kuya, nasaan ka? You miss the fight…" Mina was startled to see Sophitia,

"Sophie, are you all right?" The Greek woman answered,

"I'm fine, Mina…it seems you just have a fight…" The Korean girl scratched her head,

"Er, just some misunderstanding…" While they chatted, Yunsung talked with Talim. Then someone called him,

"You are hurt…" The youth was stunned when he saw a short, blond haired girl stood nearby him. He saw a sliced wound at his left shoulder,

"Just a little wound…" Cassandra ripped a piece of her tunic and immediately bandaged his wound. Blushed, the Korean said,

"Er, thanks…Miss…"

"Cassandra…just call me Cassandra…" Talim watched them with disbelief; however Mina quickly pulled him out,

"Hey, Mina!" The Korean girl replied,

"Though you had beaten me, it doesn't mean that you can date the older woman…you are still underage for that…" The Greek girl couldn't let her sight off from the youth. Xianghua was puzzled with that,

"Cassie, what makes you like him? I don't see anything special in him…" Dazed, Cassandra replied,

"He's so…macho…that's all," To this, Taki quipped,

"Monkey's love…" Without their knowledge, the skillful eye watched everything transpired. It blinked several time…

Few moments later, everyone decided to go to Osthreinsburg Castle. Sophitia and Seung Mina decided to return to their respective place, for honoring their promises. Meanwhile, Xianghua and Talim mischievously poked Mitsurugi's nostrils with a grass. After a few twitch, the ronin sneezed loudly. He found out those girls were responsible for disturbing his nap and began to chase them until Taki stopped him. Before they go, Sophitia said,

"Cassandra, I believe you can carry Hephaestus' mission and save Patroklos and Pyrrha…don't disappoint them," The younger girl answered with resolve,

"I won't! I'll make sure that evil sword will go for good…for making my nephew and niece suffering…"

"Be careful, you still need more experience…you can ask Xianghua or Taki to assist you…" Glancing suspiciously to the ninja, her sister replied,

"I'll be fine, sis! Don't worry!" At the other hand, Mina poked Yunsung,

"Hey, be careful! Once you've got the Sword of Salvation, tell me what it is looks like…"

"I'll be fine, Mina! Tell Hwang, I will bring the sword for him!"

"Remember, no dating!" He shouted,

"Hey, I'm not a child anymore…" As they left, Taki passed Sophitia and said,

"I'll guard her…if necessary, put my life over her." The Greek woman nodded,

"I know you will, Taki! Take care too!" When Link passed them, he said, while scratching her blond head,

"I'm sorry to not coming with you, but I must find Soul Edge for the safety of Hyrule…by the way, Princess! I'll guard your sister with my life…" Sophitia said,

"Thanks, Link! I believe you! You are really a friend…"

"Nah, I have to go! Farewell, Princess Sophitia! Miss Mina!" When the company left, the dark clouds covered the sky and the rumbles of thunder were heard. Mina suggested,

"I suggest we should go to the nearest village…from there we shall take our ways!"

"I'm agreeing!" Not wasting the time, those women ran toward east.

Torrents of rain fell from the sky, while lightning crackled and thunder rumbled. Sophitia and Mina were caught up; they ran furiously to the nearby forest. However, the Greek stopped before she even enters the forest. The Korean was surprised with her companion's attitude,

"Sophie, what's wrong?" Sophitia replied,

"I sensed something evil inside; it's waited us inside the forest…" Alarmed, Mina immediately put the Scarlet Thunder in attacking stance,

"How many are they?" The Greek woman also put her shield and sword in the same position,

"Only one, but it was driven by unearthly power…be careful, Mina!" The girl nodded. Slowly but sure, they entered the forest. As they went closer to the huge tree, Charade lurked behind its branches. Its single eye watched them hungrily, while its flesh pulsated in excitement. The louder their heartbeats beat, the faster its pulsations. It stared the Greek woman with vengeful stare. When Sophitia and Seung Mina were close to the tree, the creature leaped like lightning toward them…they could only gasped…

Lightning cracked thrice…

Author's note: Sorry for delay, I was very busy in my internship. Yet, I managed to write this during spare times. What

do you think about fight between Cassandra- Sophitia and Yunsung-Seung Mina? How about 'shojo-ai'

romance between Taki-Sophitia? What happen to Sophitia and Mina later? Sorry, if it too rush. Just wait

the next chapter, 'Edge of Vengeance'. As usual, I welcome every review, critics (and flames), no matter

how harsh is it. See you next time!

Glossary:

aayos na sugat mo ngayon (Your wounds are well now)

Alis muna ako (I'm going ahead)

Siguro hinahanap ako si Ate Taki (Perhaps _Ate_Taki was looking for me)

Pakiwalan mo si Kuya Yunsung (Let _Kuya_ Yunsung go!)

bakit hindi ka pipigilan sila (Why don't you stop them?)


	11. Edge of Vengeance

Edge of Vengeance

Lightning cracked thrice…

Torrents of rain fell furiously…

Charade stood triumphantly, dangling the braided hair at its left limb. Blood dripped and mixed with the mud. The pale body that wearing a red tribal skirt and boots, lay motionlessly on the ground. Its left hand still held the zanbatou tightly before death took her…

Tossing the object away, the spawn of Soul Edge shambled toward another body. Slow but deliberate, the creature pulled the golden blond hair upward, exposing a long, white neck. As Charade placed the katars upon the jugular vessels, a face passes over…

Sophitia Alexandra's face…

She managed to whisper, when the creature pulled the blade upon her neck,

"Cassandra…I love you"

Cassandra awoke; she was perspired heavily. Beside her, Talim and Xianghua slept soundly. Mitsurugi was snoring loudly, forcing Taki to take a nap on the tree. Yoshimitsu slept in a meditating position, distancing himself from the others. Kilik leaned over the tree where the ninja took her place. The Greek touched Elk Shield and Omega Sword beside her. That was already 2 days after her duel with Sophitia. Before departed, they decided to exchange the shield. Her sister said,

"Rothion make this shield with his love, thus he'll be with me whenever I go. Now I give this to you, Cassandra. No matter where you are, I will always be with you…" She didn't understand why Sophitia did that. The dream was very disturbing.

"Can't sleep, Miss Alexandra?" Cassandra turned and saw Yunsung stood not far from her. She asked,

"You are…" The Korean introduced himself,

"My name is Hong Yunsung…well, I can't sleep too! That's why I decide to stroll around…" Raising herself, the girl took her weapon and said to him,

"May I join with you?" The youth blushed, while holding his head,

"Sure, why not…two is better than one!" Carefully, she passed Talim and Xianghua who were still asleep. Then they went toward the nearby river. Taki watched what happened below the tree, while Talim blinked her eye twice.

Yunsung dipped his face into the river, while the Greek simply washed her face. She still pondered about her dream, and then shook her head,

_It just a dream! Probably she already returned to Athens, while we still going to find Soul Edge…_

"Are you all right, Miss Alexandra?" The Korean's call awoke her. She laughed,

"Why do you call me 'Miss Alexandra'? I just 3 years older than you, Yunsung…" The red-haired youth scratched back of his head, as he replied,

"All the more reason to say that, since you're older than me," Cassandra rose and faced him straight,

"Please, call me Cassie…and that will be enough," Yunsung gulped,

"Yes, Miss Alex…I mean Cassie…" The girl chuckled only when she watched his face was blushing like a beet. As they returned to their friends, they spent time to conversing,

Cassandra asked, "Yunsung, why do you looking for Soul Edge?" The youth beamed proudly,

"Well, I will use the blade to defend my homeland, Choson from the invading Japanese. Not only that, I will prove that I deserve honor like Hwang…" He turned to her,

"How about you, Cassie?" The Greek answered,

"Actually, I already done the half of my mission: to stop Sophitia from doing the senseless job…yet I'm now his successor for the job," Nodded, Yunsung asked again,

"I noted you're close to your sister, that's why I can't understand, how both of you could fight each other…" Cassandra brushed her hair, while replying,

"Probably we were too close, that's why we're fighting…oh, I wonder how Sophitia know your friends?"

"Mina? Well, they've crossed the way during Nightmare's hunt…" The Greek cut him,

"No, I mean the Japanese woman…from their chat, I know there's something between them," The Korean responded incredulously,

"Taki? Truthfully, I don't know about that…why don't you ask her?"

"I don't like her…somehow she's too mysterious to be trusted…" He sighed,

"That's my first impression to her before, but then I found out that she was quite reliable, though sarcastic and I started to trust her," she didn't answer, as the youth continued,

"Give her a chance, by then you can learn more about your sister…" Suddenly the rustling sound nearby sent them wary. Yunsung quickly pulled the White Storm, while Cassandra prepared her sword and shield. She whispered,

"Be careful, Yunsung!" He nodded,

"I know!" The rustling sound became louder until it fainted. Then a cloaked figure came out. It opened its tattered cloak slightly, showing the throbbing fleshy core with yellowish eye. The Greek shouted,

"By Olympus, what…is that creature?" Yunsung rattled,

"Charade, I thought it was dead after our least meeting at Transylvania! Beware, Cassie! This bastard can copy our movements and weapons!" She nodded, while took the safer distance to attack. Yet the creature didn't attack them at all. Its eyes watched them, as the pulsation tried to match their heartbeats. The girl turned to him,

"Why did it not attack?" The red-haired youth shook his head,

"I don't know; just don't let your guard down…" They almost went into offensive when the creature took something from the tattered pocket and throw the object to them. Yunsung asked,

"What is that?" Cassandra went slowly and took the object, while keeping her sight upon Charade. She opened her hand and saw two strands of hair, black and blond. Those hairs were wrapped by a red and white ribbon respectively. The red one had some oriental ornaments imprinted and dried blood caked the ribbon. The Greek gasped,

"I…I recognize this ribbon…it is Sophie's and…the hair is hers?" Yunsung came closer to her and saw the red ribbon,

"That is Mina's ribbon…what happened to her? What is actually going on?" For a moment, the world around them was stopped. They turned to the spawn of Soul Edge, which nodded in a mocking manner. Instantly, Cassandra remembered her dream. Inside her head, it was replayed in a grisly manner. She could imagine Charade pulled the katar across Sophitia, and her face fell upon the mud with the lifeless blue eyes, staring straight to her. Her last words echoed inside. She gripped the hairs tightly enough, while knelt on the ground. Yunsung didn't understand what happened. Gritting her teeth, Cassandra answered with hissing voice,

"Don't you know, Yunsung? They are dead! My sister and your friend are dead…killed by that bastard! They were murdered by Charade!" The words hit the Korean very hard; he couldn't imagine that Seung Mina could be defeated easily by that creature. She was too strong for that…unless, yes, like what it did to Taki. He stared the creature with burning hatred. Nobody ever hurt her master's daughter, even Hwang would never touch her single hair. Yet the spawn of Evil Seed had not only cut her hair; it had killed her with dirty tricks. Yunsung stabbed the ground with his saber.

Cassandra struggled to hold the tears back, but she couldn't! Not after what she did to stop Sophitia met an untimely demise, but she had failed. Failed to stop her sister to meet grisly end…she finally met the grislier end at Charade's hand. Finally, she broke,

"You…must pay what…you've done to Sophitia! MURDERER! An eye for an eye! Blood for blood and I want your blood, if you have one!" The Greek charged toward the creature furiously, sending a fierce slashing attack. In response, Charade produced the exact imitation of Scarlet Thunder and Nemea Shield. The attack ripped its cloak, but it managed to evade the attack. Blind with fury, the young girl followed next attack with a shield bash. The creature blocked the attack with ease. Even it had counterattacked by sending a horizontal slash followed by quick spin kick. Fortunately, she managed to block the kick with Elk Shield; even so the kick sent her staggering backward. Before Charade sent another attack to her midrib, a strong blow knocked the creature out. Cassandra turned and saw Yunsung.

He turned and said with a harsh voice,

"You must not kill the creature…" She protested furiously,

"Why…" Then she knew the reason when she saw fire inside his eyes. The Korean shouted,

"Because I'll be the one who will kill the bastard now," He slashed furiously, but all of them were deflected by the creature. To his surprise, it was sending a whirling kick toward his face. Though beaten, the youth immediately rose again. Cassandra called,

"Yunsung, it is better if we join together! We can kill the accursed creature faster; by then you can avenge your friend's death!" The red-haired youth spat blood on the ground, wiping his lips. With a single cry, they attacked their opponent simultaneously…

Beneath the canopy of the trees, Spawn watched the ensuing confrontation with interest,

_So, the creature was the spawn of Soul Edge…I hoped to find Necrid, instead of it. Even so, I must salute its tenacity to track those warriors._ The hellspawn pondered,

_Those youths fought for the memory of their departed ones…what a pity that they don't know what actually happened. _His mind flew to the event two nights ago. In the midst of the rainstorm, he saw the blond-haired woman crawled toward her unconscious friend. As she came closer, she saw a towering figure in front of her. The figure held a small shield and sword, also dragging a tail…its slit-like eye stared the woman intensely…

The clanging noise brought the hellspawn to reality again,

_Probably I must decide whether I have to join the fight or not_…

Cassandra and Yunsung fought with grief and anger. Their ferocity was a terrible thing to behold, but their opponent seemed little the worse for wear. Even there was a time that Charade stymied their movements. Sure enough, those youths wore themselves, but their fighting spirit still burned brightly, even threatened to consume themselves.

"Drac Slayer…" The Korean was about to grab the creature, however Charade had learned from its previous encounter. Instead it slashed overhead, followed by the chest stab. While avoiding the maneuver, Yunsung was furious to see that,

"That is Mina's style! You had no right to copy it, bastard!" Ignored his anger, the creature followed the attack with Thrusting Fang. The youth was forced to block those attacks. At that time, the Greek launched her own attack,

"Meteor Shower!" She stabbed the creature right through its ribcage, and then lifted her victim with all she had. Without warning, Charade swung its 'Nemea Shield', slamming it toward Cassandra's head. The result was devastating. She fell to the ground, and the creature immediately took the Omega Sword out. Before it went to her, Yunsung attacked once again. To anticipate that, Charade unleash Gale Cross toward the Korean. The pain stung Yunsung, yet he stubbornly forced his way. Grabbing again the shield, the creature slammed it to his forehead. As he stunned from the impact, the blade segments grabbed him and…threw him like what Ivy did to him. Now it turned again its attention toward Cassandra and ready to send its lethal attack to end the fight. Suddenly a shadow leaped between them and blocked the attack. The elbow blade crossed to prevent the zanbatou attack. Yunsung shouted,

"Talim!" The young girl merely commented wryly,

"Haynaku, hindi pwede iiwanan si Kuya Yunsung, kahit isang segundo!" She swiftly evaded, when Charade counterattacked. Even so, the battle was even. While Talim distracted the creature away, Taki and Link quickly took Cassandra away. At the same time, the rest had coming as well. Xianghua was surprised to see Charade,

"It is not Inferno, but the creature can copy the attacks very well…what is it, Kilik?" Master of Ling-Sheng-Su answered,

"No, it isn't but no doubt, it was spawned by the evil sword!" Yoshimitsu nodded,

"Probably it just wants to get back to where it belongs, unfortunately I'm not feeling especially gracious for that cursed creature," Kilik stopped the Manji,

"Wait, Elder! We must exercise caution, since the creature can duplicate our moves…" Xianghua agreed,

"Kilik is right…it almost takes forever when I fought Inferno, but the creature somehow less adept than him," Then they saw Cassandra joined again into the fight. The Chinese shouted,

"Cassie! Don't!" She almost pulled her sword, if Kilik didn't stop her,

"Xiang, wait a moment!" A harsh voice came from behind them,

"If you don't want to take the creature down, let me do it!" With that, Heishiro Mitsurugi jumped into the fray.

Meanwhile, Cassandra woke up and found Taki and Link around her,

"What happened?" The elf answered,

"The wretched creature slammed you with its weapon and you fell unconscious…" Immediately, she saw Charade fought Talim. She rose up, only to be held by the nuke-nin,

"Let me go! I have to kill that creature!" The ninja said,

"You're not ready! The creature was too strong for both of you!" Cassandra turned to Taki with teary, but fierce eyes,

"The creature has killed Sophitia! I want its blood!" Her words struck Taki and Link like a heavy hammer on their head. Not for long, Yunsung joined them,

"Not only Cassie's sister, Charade also killed Seung Mina as well!" To this news, the elf was dumbfounded. However the ninja was at loss of words; the news affected her,

_Sophitia…dead? Impossible…how can it be? _She instantly felt empty, without anything to lean upon. As she stunned, Cassandra grabbed her weapons and went to the fight again. Taki shouted,

"Cassandra, no!"

Back to the fight, Charade somehow managed to match Talim. It even transformed its zanbatou and shield into the elbow blades to facilitate the attacks. The Filipino was furious to see her own weapon was pirated,

"Kinokopya mo parin ang aking sandata? Walang hiya ka!" She focused more to her attack; however Cassandra's coming threw her off the balance,

"Ate Cassie?" The Greek shouted,

"Stay away, girl! This creature is mine!" As she attacked, Charade evaded the attack swiftly, even began to deal the two-way attack. The short-haired girl cried,

"This is for Sophitia!" She stabbed straight to the creature, who somehow anticipated it, however she immediately transform it into a shield smack to its fleshy core. Stunned, it wasn't ready to receive another attack that sent him scrambling into pieces. Before Cassandra could celebrate her victory, Charade immediately reassembles again, this time it was producing Kulutues. The creature swung the heavy axe overhead, targeting the young girl in line. As the axe swung, someone shouted,

"Seal!" Rekki-maru impacted with Charade's axe, sending the creature reeled, but at the same time knocking Taki toward Cassandra. Both fell together to the ground. The ninja quickly held the Greek to the ground.

"Let me go! Can't you see it? I almost killed the creature!" Taki answered sharply,

"No, you were gonna lose! Your life is not worth of it!" Something swirled inside her mind,

_I won't let you die like Sophitia…not as long as I live…_

Cassandra struggled, but she was unable to break the ninja's holds. Then Taki turned toward Mitsurugi who rushed to fight Charade.

She inhaled deeply, "What a fool…"

Mitsurugi stormed the creature with Sudden Gale. The attack severed one of its limbs. Instead following, the ronin took a careful stance. Charade watched the incoming opponent carefully and quickly produced its own heavy blade. When it charged toward him, the ronin shouted,

"Forced Prayer!" He sent double vertical slashes simultaneously, shattering the creature into pieces. When it tried to reform again, he sent Heaven Cannon to scattered the pieces. Even so, Charade managed to patch its body again. The ronin sent another attack,

"Wind Hole Vortex!" He took a little backstep, before thrusting his katana powerfully. The force threw the spawn of Soul Edge very far. Though he elated with his success, the others didn't,

"What does he think?" Xianghua complained, "The creature just baits him to show more moves!" What she says was true; Charade already produced his own Shishi-Oh. Mitsurugi sneered,

"Having the same sword doesn't mean you're better than me!" He attacked with Sudden Gale, only to be blocked by Charade's Forced Prayer.

"S#!" Before he continued, something huge slammed the ground between him and his opponent. The ronin startled to see a green-skinned creature. Taki shouted,

"Necrid!" Talim and Yunsung were astonished to see the incoming creature, while Xianghua, Link and Cassandra were hushed. Yoshimitsu was very calm. The green creature snorted toward the ronin, who were went backward two steps, before turning its attention to Charade. The skeletal creature watched Necrid with apprehension. In a sudden, Necrid roared aloud,

"KEYOS! YEESSSGHS!" Afterward, he produced Maleficus in form of a flaming sword and slashed the creature at its fleshy core. To everyone's shock, the core bleeds profusely and pulsated panicky, and tried to remember any moves. It produced Kulutues again, and uses Poseidon's Tide. But the green creature wasn't easily intimidated; instead he transformed his weapon into a whip and slashed the moves away, throwing Charade off guard. Still in disorganized manner, it formed the zanbatou and sent Gale Cross. Necrid utilizes the versality of Maleficus by morphing it into a shield to block the attack. He followed into the offense by sending a powerful slash toward the creature, injuring it severely. Eventually, Charade realized that he couldn't copy the Maleficus nor copying Necrid's movements. The void was beyond its capability. In a sudden moment, the green-skinned creature produced a massive sword and uppercut his opponent airborne. Everyone watched as Necrid caught Charade and smashed it into pieces. The skeletal creature once again assembles itself, yet its yellow eye looked swollen and blood spurted from its core. For its final fight, it reproduced its original weapon…the Chained Morning Star and Scythe.

Xianghua called, "Hey, did you see that, Kilik? Charade can't copy the green creature's attack…" He nodded,

"I sensed they might share the same power, which empowers Soul Edge, but they involve _different _way to use the power," Kilik turned to the Manji,

"Elder, what shall we do?" Yoshimitsu answered,

"I don't sure if the green creature is our ally or foe…just let them fight each other first,"

With a flick, Charade swung the scythe dangerously toward Necrid's neck. The green creature instinctively blocked the attack with Maleficus, only to be slammed at his breastplate with the morning star. Seeing the chance, the skeletal creature whirled its weapon horizontally and vertically, chasing its opponent. Instead avoiding, the green creature crouched on the ground, while put his right arm closely to the ground. He seems waiting Charade to come closer.

"Anong ginagawa n'ya?" Talim asked Taki. The ninja replied,

"Probably he had a plan!" Cassandra screamed, "Let me go! I will die in shame if I can't avenge my sister's death! Don't you realize that?" The raven-haired woman returned,

"Yes, but you'll die if I don't stop you!" Without her knowledge, the Greek lifted both legs up to the chest, coiled them and…instantly kicked her chest very hard! Taki instantly broke her grip as she felt the air came out from her lungs. Painful sensation stung her chest. As the nuke-nin sprawled, the blond-haired girl ran toward Charade.

"Cassandra, no! Talim! Link! Stop her!" But it was too late.

Back to the fight, Necrid deliberately let Charade's scythe tore his flesh, while whispered,

"KEI… KEI… KEI…" When Charade almost sent the deadly blow, someone shouted,

"Monster, face me first! I want your blood!" It saw Cassandra Alexandra coming toward them. Xianghua warned,

"Cassandra, no!" The skeletal creature immediately turned the attack toward the Greek. Necrid fumed when he saw the girl,

"YAMO DEYAGTZI. HAAAAAA! YAAAOS." With lightning-like speed, he unleashed Elder Charge by charging the creature point blank. The attack threw Charade away, while its weapon whirled to Cassandra's direction.

"Miss Cassie, look out!" Link immediately threw his boomerang, which cut the chain in the middle. The scythe and the morning star flew to the separate way.

Meanwhile, Necrid pummeled Charade senselessly. He followed the attack with Wind Drake, which scoops the crumpled foe to the air and slammed again to the ground. The fights lead those unearthly creatures to the downward slope. To end everything, the green creature summoned his weapon again and slashed horizontally to the flesh core. A blood-curdling scream was echoed as the streak crossed its yellow eye and began to bleed. At the same time, Cassandra screamed aloud,

"NOOOO!" Charade fell downward to the slope, and began to disassemble into pieces, as Necrid watched with satisfaction,

"DAAAAAAH! EZEEE YOOS!" Yet when he turned back, he saw Cassandra pointed the Omega Sword to him. She said with trembling lips, but her words was full of anger,

"I won't forgive you…you have taken my vengeance away! You must die for that!" The green creature stood stoically, when the Greek lifted her short sword. Suddenly, Taki grabbed her sword arm and turned her back,

"What are you doing? He is not our enemy, yet you want to strike him like a coward!" The short-haired girl protested,

"I just want to avenge Sophitia! All of you watch this freak to rob my right! Especially you! You have no right to stop me, you are not my _sister_!" Without warning, the ninja slapped her hand across the girl's face. Link , Xianghua, Yunsung and Talim gasped to saw that happened. Cassandra's right cheek reddened and stung her with pain.

Taki stared her very hard,

"I know I am not like Sophitia, _but_ I know her well! Don't you realize why she had to leave her family? Because of you! Yes, you spoiled brat! Her journey is not all about Soul Edge this time, but for her family…especially you!" She pointed to Cassandra,

"And now you're trying hard to waste your life just to avenge her! I could let you fight Charade, but then I let down Sophitia! She doesn't want to see you suffer the same fate as she did! If she still around, she might do the same thing that I did to you! Look at you! You're blinded by your anger and no longer followed the warrior code that your sister had faithfully followed! How could you to be messenger of the Gods?" Cassandra didn't answer; she ran away from them and crying. Yunsung wanted to follow her, but Taki barked,

"Let her alone, Yunsung! Let her to cool down first…" The Korean wanted to protest, but he knew better than protest her. Xianghua raised her hand,

"Let me follow her, so we can be sure there's nothing will happen to her," The pony-tailed woman nodded. At the other place, Talim stared Necrid with curious look. The creature paid no attention to her until she asked,

"What are you?" The green creature answered,

"GTES GAE GETSU!" The priestess asked unflinchingly,

"You're human, aren't you?" Necrid stared her with stoic expression, yet he spoke in unintelligible language,

"GOHEH HEMA BOGOGAH!" She went closer to him and said,

"I don't know who you are, but I believe that you have the same objective like us: finding Soul Edge! If you want, you can join us to go to Osthreinsburg Chapel…" To this, Necrid didn't answer.

Few hours later, Link, Mitsurugi and Yoshimitsu returned from the slope. Taki asked,

"Did you find its remains?" The Manji answered,

"No, not even a single bone! I feared the wily creature has escaped again…" The ronin turned his sight to Necrid with dislike,

"I will ask him…if you let me!" The ninja shook her head,

"I don't think they knew each other, beside if they indeed in cahoots, they could attacked Yunsung and Cassandra together,"

"Probably you right, but I'll keep my eye to the demon, just to be sure he doesn't do something,"

Late night, at the same place,

Taki still pondered what happened at the morning; it was hard for her to accept that Sophitia was dead. Not far from them, Link still looked at loss. No doubt he was affected by the loss. She could understand what he and Cassandra felt. Then she saw Xianghua walking away from the Greek.

"How is she?" The Chinese girl answered,

"She's fine, though still sad about her sister…" The nuke-nin blurted,

"Can I talk with her just a moment?"

"Sure, but be careful…" Taki smiled only as she went toward the Greek. Cassandra sat on the grass, hunched forward and folded her legs. She turned slightly when she saw the ninja. The raven-haired woman said,

"I hope you don't mind if I join you here…" The Greek didn't answer. Taki placed herself beside her. Moment of silence reigned among them until the ninja spoke,

"Sophitia told about you before…I think she was correct in describing you," Cassandra turned to her,

"Really? What did she say?"

"Cheerful and energetic, that's how she describes you…sometimes I envied her for having a family," The Greek girl turned with curiosity. Taki continued,

"I was orphaned in tender age; my parents were died because of the plague. I know nobody except Master Toki and Fu-Ma clan. For me, they are my brothers and sisters, and I dedicated my life for the clan. Then the quest for Soul Edge led me away from them and there I met Sophitia…"

"Before I regarded her as naïve and ignorant, but she taught me about affection and love. She really makes impact to me…" Cassandra added,

"It was really Sophitia, everyone likes her…"

"For that, I really indebted to her, then I saved her from Cervantes…" The ninja realized that she had Cassandra's full attention right now, "Look, Cassie! I'm apologize for slapping you this morning…" The short haired girl said,

"No, it is me who supposedly to apologize for kicking you…I…was…angry to everyone, including to myself," They were silent again, until the Greek girl asked,

"Ms. Taki…could I hug you for a second?" The pony-tailed woman startled, but then she answered,

"Sure, why not?" They hugged closely for a while. Cassandra laid her head upon the ninja's chest and caressed her back. Taki felt something formed between them. Probably her affection to Sophitia didn't go, despite her death. Cassandra's hair and warmth, almost similar with her sister's. Then she felt the girl was crying upon her. Gently, she stroked the girl's hair,

"That's all right, Cassandra…cry what's inside your heart…" She didn't realize that a pearly tear rolled upon her cheek; she never cried since she entered Fu-Ma clan. Link watched both of them from a safe distance, rubbing her nose.

In another place, Yunsung stood stoically. He stared faraway, while clenching the White Storm.

"Talim, you can come…" The girl appeared from the bushes,

"Pasensya, Kuya Yunsung…parang nalulungkot ikaw," The red-haired youth sighed,

"It is my fault; my arrogance led me further and, worse, cost Mina's life! I could not return to Seung's dojo. I won't be able to tell Master Han what befall to his only daughter nor to Hwang…" Suddenly he stabbed ground with his saber in frustration,

"Yet it was my responsibility! I have to find Sword of Salvation, by then I can explain to them," The Filipino girl was silent for a while, and then she spoke,

"Kuya, why do you still insist to find the sword? Is that one death not enough?" Yunsung turned on her,

"Before meet her demise, Mina told me to find the Sword of Salvation! That is her last message and I shall carry it!"

"Even though, your life would be in danger!"

"That is the risk I must take!" Before the youth went away, Talim pulled her elbow blades and put an offensive position,

"Kuya, kalabanin mo ako! I can't let you put yourself in danger! I can't let you go on. This sword is evil.

" Slightly turned back, the Korean breathed out,

"I don't care if it's evil. I will protect my country and carry Mina's last message!" Swiftly, the priestess moved like a wind and swung her weapons toward him. In a sudden movement, Yunsung blocked the attack and sent a counterattack that make Talim surprised. Before she could rise, he already put his saber upon her neck. For a moment, they stared each other. She could see fire burning inside his eyes. Then the youth said,

"Sorry, but I have to go! Please, Talim! Don't stand on my way or else, I must use force…"

"Kuya Yunsung…" Then a huge snort came and they turned to Necrid who came from nowhere. At first, they thought the creature would attack, but then it went away, leaving them alone. Yunsung distanced the White Storm and left the girl without saying anything. Talim lowered her head, saying,

"Kuya Yunsung… don't do that…" The wind breezed around her, carrying the sadness within.

Early morning, not far from the ruins of Osthreinsburg Castle,

Raphael rode behind Nightmare as they almost close to the ruins. They didn't spoke to each other since they left the mansion. Sometimes Satan neighed aloud. The Azure Knight was preoccupied with something else. Beside, they didn't saw Astaroth. Yet he was sure that the golem still followed them for Soul Edge. It didn't matter the Frenchman; what mattered to him was Soul Edge.

Nightmare watched the scenery in front of him from his visor. The place reminded him too much about his forgotten past. Not far from the place, Black Forest stood as the turning point of his life…witnessing the death of his father at his own hand. Driven by insanity, he had hunted himself and sought the powerful sword. He even killed his own master, Stefan only to pursue his mad objective. When he got Soul Edge, he got more than what he bargained …at the cost of his own soul. Still under the evil sword's influence, he killed many people in order to resurrect his father, even enlisted Astaroth, Lizardman and Ivy to carry his dreaded plan. Ivy…ah, the blast from the past…once he thought she could be his salvation. At the end, she found lies and lies only. He believed that what she wanted now was his own blood. Turning to his Zweihander, the knight sighed,

_It still needs few more souls to be complete…by then I shall be free from the accursed sword and settle all accounts…_

Entering the ruins, Raphael and Nightmare still silent. Suddenly the knight felt something and the eye on his Soul Edge Zweihander stirred. Realizing that, the Frenchman asked,

"What's going on, Sir?" Took his sword, the knight replied,

"We have a company!" Raphael pulled his Queen's guard in anticipation. The ruins around them now looked intimidating. Then he spotted the blind Italian atop the ruins behind Nightmare.

"Sir Nightmare, look out!" The knight was about turned back when Voldo leaped to him. Satan instantly stirrups, lifting his hooves to the sky. When the Italian tried to stab him, Nightmare quickly blocked the katars with his deformed hand. Ignoring the pain, he brushed Voldo to the ground. The Hell Guardian immediately rolled his body, thus avoiding serious injury. The knight turned his steed to face his enemy,

"Vercci's lapdog…I should know better…" The Frenchman shouted,

"Sir, give me to him and I'll…" Nightmare cut his words,

"No, let me deal with him! I shall end this creature's suffering for good!" At the same time, Voldo heard his master's voice urging,

"Voldo, he has Soul Edge, which we have been looking for! Kill him and bring Soul Edge to me!" The earth thundered aloud, when the Crimson Knight charged his steed toward the opponent,

"Rush! Earth Trample!" Satan almost trampled Voldo, if the blind assassin didn't crawl out from the danger. Instead facing the foe, he backed out. Nightmare charged again, however the Hell Guardian simply leaped to the air and landed behind him. The knight decided to change his tactics; he would attack from sides now. Riding Satan, he came to Voldo's left side and lifting his Zweihander,

"Reaver!" The Zweihander slammed the ground, but the Italian had rolled out again. Furious, the knight swerved and readied his next attacks,

"Advancing Slashes!" This time, Voldo came forward. To Nightmare's surprise, the Italian avoided his horizontal attacks, and crawled beneath his steed and…

Satan neighed aloud, and fell forward to the ground as the assassin hamstrung her legs. Nightmare fell to the ground. Raphael shouted,

"Sir Nightmare!" Voldo immediately went to kill, yet he didn't expect that the Azure Knight also dangerous on the feet as well as on his steed. He slashed horizontally, only to receive two horizontal slashes from him. Nightmare shouted with his terrible voice,

"Take this! Revenge!" Then he sent the forward thrust through the Hell Guardian, and followed up with Hell Slayer. He threw Voldo very, very far…and good thing that he couldn't scream! After finishing the battle, the knight turned to his dying horse. Satan neighed weakly, as his red eyes turned to his master. With the most humane expression that he could muster, Nightmare lifted his Zweihander and sank it into his loyal steed. The huge stallion twitched violently before it went silent. Raphael noted the knight extracted the Soul Fragment from Satan's body. He didn't say anything as the knight turned to him, saying,

"Let's go, Raphael! We have to go to the chapel…" He replied,

"Take my horse, Sir…" Nightmare shook his head,

"I don't need anything for now," He lifted the Soul Edge, "Only this…"

At the same moment, the warriors had close to their destination. Xianghua noted that Yunsung and Cassandra were silent since their departure. Though they were looked close, their face also looks grim. She couldn't blame them; the loss of Sophitia and Mina was too unbearable. Taki also very silent, yet the Chinese couldn't tell whether she affected like Cassandra. Talim also distanced herself from Yunsung. Instead she was close to Necrid. Mitsurugi and Yoshimitsu walked behind them, just in case the creature turned against them. Link whistled along the way, but Xianghua could sense turmoil inside his cheery appearance. She turned to Kilik,

"Do you think it's safe to let them like this?" The young master turned to her,

"Everyone had his or her own turmoil, Xiang…we try what we can do but in the end, only they have the answer,"

"Strange, now you look calm after Maxi wasn't around…" Kilik smiled slightly,

"I just trying to focus myself to our present problem…thinking another's problem will add our troubles," If there was something that she admired from Kilik, it was his presence of mind. She experienced it once when they hunted Nightmare first time. It was soothing and calm. Not for long, she saw the ruins,

"Osthreinsburg Castle! We have arrived finally!" Everyone began to make the faster pace toward the gate and saw a stallion carcass nearby. Yoshimitsu said,

"Nightmare's steed! He must be nearby!" Before everyone agreed, the loud voice boomed to them,

"Exterminate! Destroy all!" They turned around and saw Astaroth. The golem's body was bulkier and had green hue. Now he wore purple mask with 4 circles forming cross, while the Mohawk hair jutted out and purple pants. Thudded his chest, Astaroth whirled Kulutues on the air. Xianghua shouted,

"Astaroth is here!" Necrid growled as he prepared to summon the Maleficus. Before everyone ready, another voice called,

"Leave him to me! You'd better go to the Osthreinsburg Chapel, Nightmare has waited you there!" It was Maxi who looked resplendent in his white blazer and stood at the ruins beside Astaroth. The golem roared,

"Shut up and die!" The pirate ignored him, turning to the others,

"Go! Destroy the Soul Edge…I'll be waiting you here!" Xianghua stared him,

"Maxi!" Kilik immediately pulled her,

"Go, Xiang! He'll wait us here, for now we have Nightmare to deal with!" The warriors went into the ruins hurriedly, leaving the pirate and the golem alone. Maxi whirled Soryuuju, as he stared his opponent with determination,

"Come on! Let's finish this!"

"I'm not going to go easy on you!"

Nightmare and Raphael has arrived at the Osthreinsburg Chapel; the building has been obliterated and deserted long time ago. Yet, the beautiful stained windows still existed, defying ravage of time. From outside, the place looked lone and nobody around. There were no signs of Cervantes. The knight turned to the Frenchman,

"Stay here, Raphael! I have something to settle by myself inside!"

"As you wish, Sir Nightmare!" Nightmare left him outside the chapel, as he entered the gate. Raphael breathed a sigh of relief, however the sun suddenly darkened by a shadow behind him. He turned around and saw Spawn standing on the ruin. The young Sorel quickly pulled the Queen's Guard and pointed it to the incoming foe,

"Fiend, what do you want?" The Hellspawn replied,

"You must know much about the Soul Edge!"

"I haven't the time to waste on the likes of you." Instantly, the red cloak around Spawn morphed into Agony and the green flame on his eyes blazed brightly.

When Nightmare entered the ruined chapel, he could felt tranquility and peace around the place. Despite its pitiful condition, the chapel still looked the same when he entered it four years ago. It was an irony that the Soul Edge chose this place as the portal that leading to Inferno…He stabbed the Zweihander on the ground and slowly knelt on. He could have these feelings again, if only he didn't follow his madness. Then he felt that he wasn't alone anymore. The light footsteps were heard behind him,

"Isabella Valentine!" the Azure Knight called without turning back, "I have been looking for you,"

The Englishwoman replied coldly, "You have found me or rather, I have found you!" She still wore her revealing purple costume, while her left hand rested at the thigh,

"We shall settle our account for once and all, Nightmare…" The knight rose and turned to her; instead taking the Soul Edge, he sighed,

"Before, you and I could have been friends…" Suddenly Ivy pointed Valentine to him, a spark of anger flickered inside her eyes,

"Not so much, as you think! You lied to me since beginning, even deceived me to help you kill more innocent people! Worse, you didn't even tell me that it was Soul Edge who gave life to my sword…" To this, Nightmare chuckled,

"You're the only one who deceived yourself, Ivy…you asked life for your sword and I fulfill your wish! You didn't dig further about me, instead accepting what my terms are, "Gritting her teeth, Ivy twitched her blade into a whip form and assume the attacking position. The knight continued,

"It wasn't me who chose you since beginning, but Soul Edge leads me to you…_it_ know you very well! I'm also a victim of this evil sword like you…"

"Shut up! Now Valentine demanded your life in return! I promise you a painful death," Nightmare lowered his head, asking,

"Surely there is another way!"

"There is no other way!" The Azure Knight turned to the Zweihander, pondering to pull it off and use it to finishing her. Before he could decide, a terrible, inhuman laugh echoed along the ruins. Both combatants turned above and saw the Immortal Pirate standing on the top of the chapel. Nirvana and Soul Edge Female whirled around him. Instead wearing his pirate costume, he wore a black-plated armor on his chest and his beloved hat wasn't around anymore. He cackled,

"What an exciting conversation! I can't help to overheard it…" The Englishwoman stared the undead pirate with hate, while Nightmare kept his sight on her. Cervantes turned on her, while played his moustache,

"Hmm, so you're the wielder of 'Child of Evil Sword'? You seem so familiar…yes, you are…Marla's daughter; your features are similar with her and I believe those fierce eyes are coming from me!" He laughed maniacally,

"It means…my blood runs inside your body! Haha, what a pleasant surprise! I have a daughter! Soul Edge has led you here… Come back to me, my child. Embrace our destiny…" Suddenly Ivy shouted with anger,

"Silence! I can change my own destiny! You have no right in my life, since you abandoned my real mother and me for your madness! Madness of Soul Edge!" The pirate's face twitched with displeasure, and then he spoke with grave tone,

"Is that the way to greet your _father_? I have to teach you some manner!" He turned to the knight,

"Please stay away from this matter; this is purely family business! I will deal with you after this!" Nightmare didn't answer to the threat. Meanwhile, Ivy has taken offensive position, and pulled her blade backward. Valentine reverberated in her hand, sensing a fight. At the same time, Cervantes jumped downward, followed by Soul Edge Female and Nirvana. He floated like a feather on the air, despite the height. His weapons crashed not far from Ivy, crossing each other. The pirate landed gently and pulled them with ease. The Englishwoman could smell the obnoxious smell when he was around. Yet, the bitterness in her heart forced her to ignore the smell. Cervantes could sense the same vibration upon his Soul Edge; no doubt it was responded to Valentine. Both of them shared the same source. Spreading both arms, he went closer,

"Are you sure, Isabella? Don't ever think that I won't kill you because you are my daughter…I've killed honorable men for such familiarity." Ivy responded by pulling the blade into whip form,

"I already prepared for this moment! I must destroy everything that tainted by Soul Edge, especially you!" She added with smirk, "I have no compunction to kill you; you have died once and will dead soon…" The pirate's red eyes burned brightly and a whitish mist came out from his nostril as he snorted,

"How dare you. I will crush you!" Without waiting, Ivy immediately unleashed Menace Slice and uses her Soul Charge. Her opponent quickly whirled the weapons, and then deflected Valentine with a longer spin of Soul Edge Female. Undeterred, she followed the attack with Squire's Bow. The segments immediately angles up, thrusting upward. To her surprises, Cervantes slashed downward once, before vanished from its sight. A hoarse voice warned,

"Look up behind you!" As the Englishwoman turned back, she saw the pirate was above her. Yet it was too late, Cervantes immediately delivered a direct kick to her head and followed by another kick to the chest. She immediately flew backward, with blood splattered and hit the ground very hard. With disbelief, Ivy wiped the blood from her nose and mouth, while the Immortal Pirate watched only,

"You're good and cunning, I give credit for that! Unfortunately, the anger controlled your reason …" She turned upon the Azure Knight; it must be he who shouted the warning to her. Yet seethed with anger, she shouted,

"Shut up! You're all talk! I'm going to crush you…" Shouted her battle cry, the white-haired woman stormed her opponent again, without thinking herself. Cervantes merely smiled, as he crossed the weapons upon his chest,

Author's Note: Well, I finally finished this part! For Sophitia-Seung Mina's fans, I apologize for what happened to your favorite characters, but I had reserved surprises in the end. What will happen in the duel between Cervantes-Ivy? Who will come victorious and challenge Nightmare? Then how about Maxi and Astaroth? The other heroes? Find out in 'Full Circle'. This is the second to the last. You're free to send reviews, critics or flames, see you!

Glossary:

Filipino:

hindi pwede iiwanan si Kuya Yunsung, kahit isang Segundo- can't leave Kuya Yunsung, even for one seconds

Kinokopya mo parin ang aking sandata?- are you copying my weapons too?

Walang hiya ka-shameful!

Anong ginagawa n'ya? –what does he doing?

parang nalungkot ikaw- you looks sad

labanin mo ako- you fight me


	12. Full Circle Part I

eFull Circle

Part I

Time slowed to a crawl for Maxi. One moment, the warriors had been greeted by Astaroth, the Merciless Destroyer. The next, he was fighting the golem for his revenge and…his life as well. The shouting returned him to reality,

"Begone, you scum!" The swipe wheezed above the pirate's head, crushing the nearby rock. He immediately sent his Pure Soul attacks. The golem quickly deflected it with his uppercut. His opponent crouched, yet another attack had been prepared. Astaroth sideswiped Maxi with the handle of Kulutues, sending the pirate hit the wall. Feeling woozy, Maxi felt his vision blurred and voices ringing inside his ears…

_Maxi, are you all right?_

Just at the nick of time, he didn't see the golem charging him again. This time, the voice came louder,

_Maxi, look out!_ Instinctively, he whirled Soryujuu and blocked the incoming axe slash. Growled, Astaroth stomped his feet. However, the pirate quickly avoided the stomp by rolling his body on the ground and sprinted to a fair distance. To his surprise, the golem unleashes Poseidon's Tide to close their distance. The axe cut everything that blocked him. Undeterred, Maxi leaped and shouted,

"Falling Heaven Dragon!" Anticipating the attack, Astaroth stopped the whirl and heaved his axe upward. The weapons yanked the nunchaku, practically dragging him. He quickly swung the pirate before threw him hitting another wall. The golem laughed hideously beneath his mask,

"You make me laugh! DAH, HAH, HAHAHAH, HAH, HAH!" Slow but painfully, Maxi lifted himself from the ground. Seeing the golem's invincibility, he almost despaired. In addition, blood trickled from his forehead and his vision almost failed. He was ready to give up;

"I'm sorry, Kyam…I can't avenge you…it's better for me to join you in the afterlife…"

Meanwhile inside Osthreinsburg Chapel, the fight between father and daughter had gone one-sided. Despite the ferocity, Ivy was unable to match Cervantes who were more experienced than her. Her stamina had been depleted slowly. Her breath became labored, yet she stared the Immortal Pirate with renewed fury. Nightmare watched the fight without any expression. The pirate looked little the worse for wear. Facing his estranged daughter, he asked,

"So, are you giving up, child? My wrath is terrible, but my grace can be just as marvelous…" Cervantes De Leon offered his hand to her,

"Come, and we shall become family again…" Ivy didn't answer; her golden eyes burned lightly with fire of hate and madness. Lifting Valentine above her head, she shrieked,

"You're revolting! I'm not your daughter but Duke Valentine's daughter! I am going to beat you if it's the last thing I do! Do you hear that! I'm going to beat you!" The pirate's face hardened again. Without waiting, Ivy immediately unleashes,

"Calamity Symphony!" She sticks Valentine into the ground and the blade began to dig underground toward her opponent. Calmly, Cervantes held his weapon parallel to the ground. When the segments hit his defense, he stepped forward and blasted the hellfire toward the opponent. Ivy knocked backward, yet she still manage to unleash a counterattack,

"Ivy Lick!" She swept Valentine toward Cervantes, causing the pirate went airborne. Before the undead slammed the ground, she quickly pulled and held him at the neck. Strangely, the Immortal Pirate didn't struggle at all.

The Englishwoman shouted, "This is the end! SUMMON SUFFERING!" Like what she did to Talim, the blade broke into segments and surrounded them. Cervantes replied,

"Not so fast! Not so fast, dear daughter! Surprise Wave!" As the segments flew toward them, the pirate held Soul Edge behind his back, while swiping Nirvana in a circular motion. Ivy felt that she held a tornado…a storm!

She whispered fearfully, "This... can't be!"

To her terror, she was spun around by Cervantes and…the segments of Valentine pierced her skins like a swarm of angry wasps. She screamed as her face, trunk and extremities were sliced by those segments. Like realizing its mistake, the segments fell to the ground but the damage had been done. Finished, Cervantes threw her to the ground. She writhed in pain, remembering what she had done to the Filipino three days ago. It seemed the fate had repaid her in the same manner. Then someone stepped upon her chest. She choked and saw the Immortal Pirate above her. She saw Valentine quite far from her reach. Cervantes watched his daughter struggled for air, while he stepped her breast. He watched with utter disappointment and disdain,

"I'm disappointed! What a useless daughter. You even bring shame upon the De Leon's name by adopting the English name…what shall I do to you, ungrateful wench?" He leaned further, increasing the pressure upon his boot. The Englishwoman bit her tongue; she could feel her ribs and sternum almost cracked under the infernal weight. However she allowed a little smile, as she remembered someone in his side: Heihachi! The patriarch would help her when she gave the sign. Coughed, she replied with determination,

"Do what you will…and be done with it! I can't kill you…there is nothing I can do!" The pirate smiled cruelly,

"Glad to comply…" He leaned again, pressing upon her lungs, heart and inner organs. This was not her expectation! Ivy screamed with agony; her lung and throat almost filled with fresh blood and made her unable to call the Iron Fist Champion.

Not far away from the chapel, the warriors also heard the scream,

Xianghua asked, "What is that? Is there someone else fighting Nightmare?" Kilik replied,

"It is likely! Whoever fighting Nightmare, he or she needs our help…" Taki added,

"What if it was Cervantes?" Everyone turned to the nuke-nin with shocked expression; however Yoshimitsu quickly took the situation,

"We have to come fast, before the outcome of the fight can be determined!" Mitsurugi shouted,

"Yosh! Let's go now!" Cassandra and Yunsung nodded, while Necrid watched with stoic posture. They began to speed their pace toward the Osthreinsburg Chapel.

Few moments later, the scream died and Ivy's right hand fell limply beside her. She lost her consciousness without even calling Heihachi. The pirate spat upon her, and then a hoarse voice came,

"You didn't kill her…you couldn't kill your own daughter…" Cervantes stared the Azure Knight sharply, while stepped away from her. Her chest rose slowly as it resumed breathing again. He spoke,

"Plenty of time for that, yet many scores shall be settled before this day is out!" Nightmare replied with pulling out his Zweihander. He whirled the huge blade above his head. The Immortal Pirate spread his arms widely and did something unthinkable. He threw Nirvana away, while keeping Soul Edge Female. The knight was unimpressed,

"You just throw away your chance to win…" The pirate cackled,

"In contrary, I just improve my chance to kill you…" He pulled another blade; this time it was red-bright, fire-like blade.

"No matter how strong are your defenses, Phlegethon will penetrate it…together with Soul Edge…"

"Let's see first! Rook Splitter!" Nightmare immediately sidestepped and delivered a crushing vertical slash toward his opponent. Cervantes attacked with both blades together, countering the attack. At that time, the knight felt a burning sensation when the Zweihander impacted with Phlegethon. The pirate immediately followed up his attack with…

"Eternal Curse!" He pivoted back with one leg and stabbed the Soul Edge toward Nightmare's midsection. The Azure Knight tried to block it, but no avail. The powerful force shoves him to the ground. As he rose, his opponent slammed the hilt of the shorter sword to his breastplate, and followed by roundhouse kick to his head. He felt ringing inside his head, however he immediately sent another attack,

"Midnight Launcher!" Cervantes quickly distanced himself from the whirling uppercut. Suddenly the knight leaped to the air, while lifting the Zweihander very high. Before the attack hits, he already use Shadow Flare to teleport himself out of danger. The floor exploded when Nightmare's vertical slash hit the ground. Even so, the knight was aware of the presence behind him. He immediately spun his sword three times, before…passes it behind his back. Surprised, the Immortal Pirate reversed the attack into stabbing. Three attacks with Phlegeton found its place, while the low hit from Nightmare scraped his armor. Despite the burning pain, the knight pressed his attack by sending a spin kick. The undead pirate quickly crouched and stepped forward, while slashing toward the enemy. The Azure Knight went airborne instantly and hit the nearby wall.

"Little fool!" Cervantes sneered, "Don't you have the sense to die?" As the answer, Nightmare rose again. His azure armor had cracked in some parts, yet he still persisted to fight.

Back to Maxi, who already despaired from his fight with Astaroth. Suddenly something flickered inside his mind…the familiar images…a youth and a girl…

"Kilik…Xiang?" At the same time, the golem was ready to send a lethal strike toward him. Instantly, the pirate's face hardened,

_No, I must not die here! I will avenge my crews and Kyam…I will find Kilik and Xianghua for they are my…_

The Kulutues whizzed dangerously to him; Maxi quickly gripped his nunchaku and shove upward to block the attack,

_FRIENDS!_ He immediately uses Soul Charge and the sparks showered them as the weapons impacted. Astaroth was startled to see the change upon his prey. Roared, the pirate quickly wrapped Soryujuu to the axe and launched himself close to his hated enemy. Before the golem had his chance to swing him out, he sent a powerful kick to its face. In the suddenness, Astaroth lost his grip on the Kulutues. The axe flew and thudded the ground with its sharp edge facing. Without wasting time, Maxi wrapped his nunchaku around the golem's neck and shouted,

"Dragon Destroyer!" He somersaulted, carrying the huge brute and threw him to the ground very hard. He quickly followed it with Leaving the Dragon Nest. While the golem still stunned, Maxi bashed its head with the nunchaku as hard as he could. He poured what inside him; the hate…the lust for revenge…and the familiar faces returned…Kyam…Kilik…Xianghua…and it's love that finally tears him apart. Soon enough, the mask was wet with fresh blood and slowly but sure, the golem was woozy. For the final coup, the pirate planted his foot to the bloodied face and 'kicked' it, before whipping the Soryujuu for the last time. The hulking body flew…and landed upon the Kulutues! The harsh voice shouted,

"NOOOO!"

Instantly a loud and powerful scream echoed along the ruins. The scream trailed down into moan and finally utter silence. Maxi walked closer to his nemesis, which was impaled with its own weapon. The axe peered from the gaping wound on the Astaroth's chest. Blood gushed like waterfall from the gaping wound. He quickly ripped the mask and saw the bloodied face of the golem. To his surprise, the golem reached out toward him but he evaded it easily. With his own eyes, he saw Astaroth stiffened and gone for good. For the second time in his life, he felt relieved. Then he remembered something,

"Oh, shit! Kilik and Xianghua…they will fight Nightmare! I must help them…" He threw the mask away and ran to other direction.

Return to duel between Cervantes and Nightmare, it seemed the situation became unfavorable to the knight; the pirate once again unleashed his attack,

"Armada Eraser!" He swung both blades, and then spun the Soul Edge toward the knight's breastplate. Nightmare shouted in anticipation,

"Death Claw!" The twirling attack immediately stymied Cervantes' strikes. Afterward, he immediately performed Spinning Retreat, followed with Death Horn Charge. The Immortal Pirate sent his Guard Impact move,

"Dishonest Wave!" Again, the Azure Knight staggered to the nearby wall due to the impact, his breath came out from the visor. Despite his monstrous strength, he was still a human…and his stamina was nearly depleted.

_To bring the duel to the end, I must exploit weakness from him…_ he turned his attention toward the unconscious Ivy and a terrible idea flickered in his mind. Steeled himself, he forced himself to stand. The pirate mocked,

"So you still have strength to continue…" The long, low animalistic growl escaped from the knight's clenched teeth, and then he spoke,

"Not yet! There's no turning back." Suddenly, he sent a spinning sweep toward the undead pirate. Yet the opponent was quick to recognize that; he immediately protects himself with Phlegeton and kicked the knight's flank. Nightmare grunted, but then he already closed his range to the Englishwoman. He shouted,

"Let's see how your daughter loved you to _her_ death as well…" As the Zweihander fell toward Ivy, Cervantes' eyes widened and he quickly went ballistic and shouted,

"Geo Da Ray!" Cervantes charged again and unleashed Dread Slash. At first Nightmare did nothing to stop the attack. At the last instant, he reversed his grip and pivoted his entire body. He was now standing next to a startled pirate, who had nothing between him and the blurred huge sword. It streaked toward his midsection.

"Witch Hunt!" Nightmare's blow hit with the sound of overripe oranges thrown against a stone wall. Cervantes…or _his_ torso for exactly, flew through the air and landed in a bloody heap fifteen feet from where he'd started. Phlegeton and Soul Edge Female sprawled close to the knight. The only word that came out from the Immortal Pirate was…

"What?" Calmly, the Azure Knight picked the accursed blade. This sent the pirate livid with anger and fear at the same time. Dragging his severed body, he shrieked,

"Thief, return my darling to me! I demand it…" The knight disdained,

"I think the result has been decided, Cervantes…_your_ time is over for good this time…" He didn't see the necessity to finish the pirate; he was close to the death throes. With panicked expression, Cervantes turned to the unconscious Ivy and screamed,

"Ivy, help your father…please!" Slowly, the Englishwoman opened her eyes and turned to see the mangled pirate. The strange feeling struggled inside her heart. The pirate begged again,

"Ivy, I was wrong to leave you and your mother…please helps me to get my Soul Edge…and I promise to take care of you…" She sighed and then stared the man who claimed as her father with the most pitying expression,

"Too late…You die first... I will join you some day." Suddenly a spark of flame appeared upon Cervantes. The body of the pirate who once terrorized the Mediterranean Ocean quivered and shook, flopping in the stone floor like a beached fish. The flame quickly covered him with such speed. His scream turned into wail and finally gone forever after the hellfire consumed him completely. Once again, Ivy lost her consciousness.

In another place, Raphael felt his body slammed against the wall. Despite his swordsmanship and the Queen's Guard, the Hellspawn was too powerful for him. Before he moved, the warrior already pushed him back with Agony. He could felt the breath upon his face. Spawn barked,

"Speak or I won't be so kindly…" The Frenchman asked,

"Why do you want Soul Edge?" The warrior from Hell replied,

"I don't want that damned sword…I just want to go back to my time!" The Sorel smiled. At last he'd found the right nerve to tug. He continued,

"If that is the case, you should retrieve Soul Edge first…it is your key to going home…" He sighed,

"And of course, you must fast! Otherwise, the other will come and claim it for themselves…" Spawn pushed him tighter,

"The warriors…they didn't present immediate danger to me!" Choking, the French said,

"But…what…if they…destroy…it instead? You…will…be trapped…here!" Inside his mind, the Hellspawn admitted that Raphael had a point. Yet he also remembered his cunning as well. Turning to the trapped noble, he asked,

"Why do you tell me that?" Raphael said, grinning,

"You and I are the same, though not alike! You want to go home; while I want to give a better future for a girl…I think it is no harm to spill some information…" Suddenly, he fell to the ground and Spawn was nowhere to seen. Smiled slightly, he said,

"Everything will be easier…"

Nightmare savored his victory over the original owner of Soul Edge; now who could stop him to reunite these blades into one and thus bring the completeness? He mused to himself,

_I've been waiting for this day for too long! Yes, this is it..._

When he was about to merge the smaller sword into his Zweihander, he felt something knocked his head and the familiar voices returned again,

_My son, resist the evil! Resist the Soul Edge! _

_No, fool! You almost succeed! Merge the Soul Edge now! Untold power shall be yours!_

_My son, are you willing to lose your soul as well? Is it worth for you?_

The knight howled like a wounded beast; he let the Zweihander and the other blade fell to the ground, while he writhed. At the same time, the others have arrived on the chapel. Taki immediately spotted Nightmare,

"There is Nightmare!" Talim noticed Ivy was around as well; her visage was darkened slightly,

"Ito siya, ang babae ng puting buhok…ano nangyari sa kanya?" Xianghua asked,

"What is he doing?" Yoshimitsu cut her,

"Forget him, look what lay beside him!" Link exclaimed,

"Soul Edge! The evil sword itself!" Yunsung added,

"Now there is two of it!" Kilik said firmly,

"I shall destroy it!" Suddenly a loud voice echoed,

"None shall touch Soul Edge except me!" Everyone turned to Spawn upon the top of the ruins. Necrid growled in response, while Yoshimitsu and Taki pulled their respective weapons. She warned,

"Stay away from this, Hellspawn or else, we're forced to send you back to Jigoku!" The warrior from Hell instinctively morphed his cape into Agony, while replying,

"Then do it if you can!" The situation became tense as everyone prepared to fight. Nightmare was concerned only to the torturing voices inside her head. To their shock, someone…or something else joined the fray. Talim screamed aloud, pointing,

"Ang halimaw…buhay siya!" Everyone saw…Charade not far from their site. Although severely wounded in fight with Necrid and Cassandra, the spawn of Soul Edge still managed to drag itself. It turned its attention to the Soul Edge Female and Male nearby. With swift movement, the creature landed nearby Nightmare. Despite the pain, the knight learned its presence. He immediately swung his deformed hand, but Charade was faster. Its formed Kali-yuga at its limbs and brushed Nightmare away. The knight broke the wall and fell outside. Cassandra hissed,

"For Sophitia, I can't let you have the Soul Edge!" She charged forward, despite Taki and Link's warning. At the same time, Heihachi appeared from behind, knocking Mitsurugi in process,

"Get lost... YOU'RE IN MY WAY!" Everyone followed them. To their horror, Charade picked the Soul Edge Female and pulled the Zweihander. When the eye upon those blades stared back to him, the core throbbed full of ecstasy. The creature raised both blades above its head triumphantly. Taki and Cassandra shouted simultaneously,

"No!" Instantly the chapel's bell rang aloud with deafening tone. Everyone was forced to close their ears. Heihachi immediately sent his famous Iron Fist. Charade quickly blocked the fist with both Soul Edges. The blinding light shone amidst the place when Maxi was arrived. He immediately raised his hand to cover the eyes. Few moments later, the light vanished along with the others. Maxi turned to the stunned ronin,

"Hey, where are they?" Mitsurugi shrugged his shoulders,

Tartaros, the land where the hellfire burns eternally. Arid and barren, it offered nothing for the living to thrive. Fire surrounded the land, only small parts were untouched. Talim opened her eyes and saw Necrid standing nearby. She noted everyone else were around. The young girl asked Yunsung,

"Kuya, where are we?" Before the Korean answered, Xianghua said,

"One thing that I'm sure is this place is not the Void of the World…" The Chinese turned to Kilik,

"No, it is not!" The young master agreed, "But something else…" After watching the surrounding carefully, Taki commented,

"Jigoku…this place is no other than Jigoku or well known as hell," Yunsung and Talim were stunned to hear her explanation. Cassandra added,

"In our language, Tartaros…place for the condemned souls…" The red-haired youth exclaimed,

"You say…that we're inside the hell…literally…" The priestess followed,

"Pero, bakit hinde namatay tayong lahat?" The nuke-nin replied,

"Because it was the real intention of the evil sword…we're invited here!" Yoshimitsu joined them,

"I didn't see the Hellspawn; he must be around here…" Kilik nodded,

"We should be careful in this strange land, anything can happen," Then Link called them,

"Speaking about the sword, look below there!" The warriors turned their sight and saw Heihachi and Charade were fighting each other. Despite holding two blades, the creature uses them clumsily. It held the Zweihander, but it was too large for the creature to use it effectively in the battle-more a distraction than an aid. The Mishima patriarch dogged the creature tirelessly and mercilessly. He mocked,

"That's all you've got? Not even worth my breath!" Then he sent his Death Fist that almost shook Charade's limbs. The creature tried hard to stand, using the Zweihander as support. Xianghua asked,

"Shall we help him?" Yoshimitsu shook his head,

"Not a chance, the wretched creature is not match to him…" Suddenly Taki silenced all of them; her face bore expression of pain. Talim asked,

"Ate Taki, anong nangyari sa inyo?" The raven-haired woman writhed,

"AHH! I can feel the evil!" Cassandra pointed,

"Look!"

Back to Heihachi and Charade, they still continued their battle. Suddenly the fire around them roared and cracked furiously. Both combatants stopped, waiting what happened next. From the roaring flame, a tongue of fire appeared and went to their place. Slowly but sure, the flame materialized into a human-like form, but much taller. Upon the fire and crackling purple sparks, a skeletal face and the organic-like body armor, including the ribs appeared. The bright light shone when the creature opened its eyes and a cold, terrible voice boomed,

"**_AHHHHHHGH! At last, the Hellfire of Despair has been freed again! No thanks to you, Hades!_**" Then the flaming creature stepped lightly, watching Heihachi and Charade calculatingly.

Above, Kilik gripped his Kali-Yuga tightly as he hissed softly, venom in his voice,

"Inferno!" Cassandra remarked,

"What! Is that the manifestation of Soul Edge?"

Yunsung pondered, "That sword is definitely evil!"

Talim whispered in fear, "Grabe…"

Link grunted, "So that is the Soul Edge…I shall destroy it for the peace of Hyrule!"

Only Necrid didn't say anything. The warriors watched them carefully.

Heihachi opened the conversation, "You think you can beat me? That mildly amusing!" The fiery creature didn't say anything to the remark. The patriarch found out that its silence was irritating. He said,

"Let's see what you're made of." He instantly charged toward Inferno who looked disinterested. Instead, the creature merely whirled his right hand, forming a fiery portal. Once their distance closed, he threw the portal toward Heihachi and in a blink of eye; they were vanished into a thin air.

_The Present time…_

In the hot spring, Kuma was looking for his master. He could smell his scent, but unable to find him. Suddenly, the fiery portal appeared from nowhere; the bear immediately growled upon its appearance. Suddenly something fell into the hot springs with a big splash. Then Heihachi Mishima came out from the water with a loud roar. After shook his body, he found out that he was returned to his familiar time. He grumbled,

"All of this for nothing!" Kuma greeted his master with lick, even though his master seems did not appreciate it. The patriarch saw one of the Tekken Squad waited beside,

"What is that?" The soldier answered nervously,

"Something…important, Master…" Heihachi smiled,

"Never a dull moment…" He raised himself from the spring, leaving the old scroll behind.

_Back to Tartaros,_

Inferno rasped, "**_Heh, heh, heh! PATHETIC!_**" Then he turned to Charade and gave a toothy grin,

"**_How about you? Will you give those swords to me?_**" The skeletal creature pondered its options, while the Hellfire of Despair waited. He spoke,

"**_Do not test my patience…_**" In a sudden, Charade lifted both swords and stormed the abomination. Yet Inferno stopped its movements with a mere gesture,

"**_Wretched creature, do you think I do not know what inside you? You're forgotten that we're one! Now I will fulfill your deepest desire…_**" To everyone's sight, Charade pointed the Soul Edge Female and Male to its own core. The core was trembled in a panicked expression, while Inferno watched with sadistic glee,

"**_You want to become one? So be it!_**" With a single wave, the creature stabbed both blades into its core. However something strange happened; the blades immediately merged with the core; three eyes instantly became one. The skeletal feature of Charade slowly disappeared under a huge, fleshy blob. Inferno watched with satisfaction. Almost suddenly, the fleshy blob was set aflame, turning into a huge fireball. The fiery creature merely opened his mouth and sucked the flame into himself. The fireball slowly receded into nothing as Inferno consumed it completely. As a result, the flame around him burned brighter. Then he turned to the warriors' place slightly, where Xianghua, Talim and Link quickly hide themselves. The flame cracked still, as he walked into the middle of the plain, shouting,

"**_Come out, all of you there! Don't hide like a rat!_**" Hearing that, the Chinese girl quipped sheepishly,

"Looks like we got ourselves a fight!"

"Only the strong shall prevail!" Yoshimitsu replied solemnly, "Fight with honor!"

One by one, they came out and went to meet the infernal creature. Inferno watched them one by one, especially Kilik and Xianghua. He noted Necrid among them, yet he ignored the green creature and spoke directly to them,

"**_So, all of you will challenge me for the possession of Soul Edge?_**" Yoshimitsu barked,

"No, we'll destroy you for good, evil creature! There will be no mercy!" The Chinese girl followed,

"I guess there's no turning back! I have defeated you once…" To this, Inferno smiled,

"**_Yes, but you have Soul Calibur at that time. Now you have none!_**" Kilik argued, while shoving his Kali-Yuga,

"This rod will be your doom!" The Greek girl don't want to lose,

"The sword and shield that Hephaestus gave me shall end your terror…" The fiery creature chuckled, before broke into laughter,

"**_Fools!_**" he bellowed, "**_My power is complete now! You are no more than gnats to me!_**" Taki responded by pulling Rekki-Maru,

"Ho! I won't hold back! Choose who will be your opponent among us!" With an arrogant stare, Inferno said disdainfully,

"**_Why don't all of you fight me? It is better than waiting you one by one, beside Hades would be pleased to have the souls of the warriors here…_**" Everyone stared each other, not answering the challenge. The creature said again; this time full with mocking tone,

"**_Except all of you have become cowards…_**" The Manji answered,

"We're not coward, Inferno…since we are giving you the benefit of fair fight! Since you asked for it, there is no choice for us but to accept your challenge!" The creature laughed again,

"**_Good! GOOD! Do you hear that, Hades? I shall present their souls to you, and you must let me go from this blasted land!_**" Yoshimitsu turned to his fellows,

"Listen, we might have a chance to end this menace for good!" The young master of Ling-Sheng-Su said,

"Be careful, Elder! From my previous experience, this creature is very cunning and tricky! He alone can imitate Xiang's and my style. Now he already absorbed Charade's memories, only the gods can tell what he has in stores," Taki joined them,

"True, unless we attack him simultaneously! There's no way for him to imitate our styles and weapons at once…" She turned to Necrid, "Besides, we had a trump card here…if he can't stop Inferno, nobody can!" The ninja turned to Cassandra, Link, Yunsung and Talim,

"Look, you may be young for this! But be brave and strong! Cassie, this is the reason why Sophitia have to leave her family. Will you let her down?" The blond-haired girl shook her head. Taki turned to Yunsung,

"I'm sorry for Mina's fate, Yunsung! Now you have seen the true nature of Sword of Salvation…there is nobody here except yourself! Believe in your true strength!" The Korean nodded in understanding.

Talim said, "Alam ko, Ate Taki! Ito ng dahilan bakit ako nandito! I won't regret it, even to my last breath!" She turned to the fiery creature with disgust, "At tsaka tuturuan ko ng leksyon ang mayabang halimaw ito…"

The elf added, "I have come this far for those whom I loved at Hyrule and I won't turn back!" Meanwhile Xianghua tapped Kilik lightly,

"Kilik, there is something I want to say…" Gently, the young master put his finger to her lips,

"Later, Xiang…after we finished this fight…" The Chinese girl held his finger and kissed him at the lips lightly,

"It is better than not…" Kilik's face blushed; he could only say,

"Thanks, Xiang…" Suddenly the creature called,

"**_I'm tired of waiting, shall we start now?_**" Everyone nodded to each other before they circled Inferno. Each of them prepared their weapons, ready for anything. Necrid had summoned his Maleficus. The infernal creature watched them with a cold, penetrating stare. He was trying to see which among them is the weakest. Then he clicked his fingers, a tongue of fire appeared from his back and fell to his hands. The flames instantly materialized into a familiar weapon…a chained scythe and morning star. Unlike its original, the scythe was wrapped by something organic while the morning star looked fleshy and had a huge, demonic eye, despite sporting the wicked spikes. The chains that connected them more looked like innards than steels. Taki cursed,

"S$&#!" With a lightning-like speed, Inferno swung the morning star toward Cassandra, Yunsung and Talim, bashing them violently. Those youth were staggered under the heavy and sudden attack. When the others wanted to help, the creature shifted his attack with the scythe. Instantly the circle was broken. Realizing this, the Manji shouted,

"Change of plan!" He immediately unleashes Rapid Gale in rapid succession toward the infernal creature. Anticipating the attack, Inferno quickly morphed his weapons into something else. He blocked Yoshimitsu's katana with…its corrupted version, complete with its banner. The demonic eye stared from the banner. The sparks of fire showered them. The Manji converted his attack into Rebirth of the Demon, yet it was answered by Inferno's Mouthless. The creature spoke,

"**_Yoshimitsu, you can't hide what inside your heart…you wanted revenge for your clan, do you? Accept me and I will give you untold power…_**" Gritted his teeth, the ninja answered,

"Ridiculous! I will never join with the likes of you! Rapid Grace!" He slashed overhead, and then followed by an uppercut slash. The fiery creature quickly shifted his attack into defensive one,

"**_You fool!_**" However, Yoshimitsu already leaped and ready to split the creature's skull with another uppercut slash. He was shocked when the creature spun his body and vanished into thin air. As he landed, Inferno was behind him. Xianghua shouted,

"Look out!" Instead blocking the incoming attack, the Manji simply sat to the ground and teleported himself out of danger. The creature cursed, and turned to saw the ninja was performing Pogo Stance, rushing toward him. He waited until their distance was close. Yoshimitsu performed Shark Attack right away, shouting,

"Izo izo izo izo izo IIIZOOO!" Inferno swiftly blocked the rolling attack, and…punched the ninja with an uppercut, followed by overhead bash with his fiery hand. He threw his opponent away. Slightly stunned, the Manji managed to comment before lose consciousness,

"Unexpected!"

Before breathed in relief, Inferno sensed another incoming attack to him. The katana and the banner instinctively morphed into a pair of ninja sword, of course, Soul Edge version. He quickly blocked Taki's Shadow Rush. Realizing her disadvantage, the Fu-Ma withdrew to a safe distance. The creature stared her,

"**_Ah, another soul! Do you want to master me as well?_**" The raven-haired woman spat,

"Yah! Who do you think you are?" Inferno chuckled,

"**_I can read everyone's deepest desires, and even fears! Have you heard that your sword is also your heart? Do you think I can only copy your weapons and styles? No, I even know what you think inside!"_** Taki didn't answer, while the creature continued,

"**_You wishes to destroy Mekki-maru by impacting it with Soul Edge…yet your desire to master the blade is stronger! That's why the blade is still with you…_**" Still no answer,

"**_Oh, by the way…do you know someone named Sophitia? Does the name is familiar to you?_**" Unable to keep her patience, the nuke-nin screamed in fury,

"I'm through with words! Possession!" She moved faster than any eyes could follow, yet Inferno was unafraid. In a sudden, Taki shifted into Storm Scroll by sidestepping to the opponent's left. She leaped to the right and attacked with high arc. The creature blocked the attack instantaneously. Undeterred, the ninja quickly shifted to her best attack, Exorcism. The Catastrophe saw it, anticipating the attack with his 'Rekki-Maru' using Reaping Hook. The sparks of flame showered them as the blades impacted. Sweat rolled upon Taki's brow. Simultaneously, she pulled Mekki-maru and unleashed,

"Mekki-maru's Darkness!" The evil blade emitted the purplish aura along with streaks of flame. The fiery creature also pulled his own 'Mekki-maru' and the loud clang echoed along Tartaros. Talim shouted,

"ATE TAKI!" At first, Taki felt a relief, but then she frowned after seeing Mekki-maru didn't broke after impacted with the Soul Edge version of it. The flame was roared furiously as both opponents locked its attack. Inferno said,

"**_This is a good blade, a powerful blade filled with anger and pride. Perhaps it might even cause me harm._**" To her horror, the creature began to perform Water Kick, kicking her face and midsection before sent a powerful kick toward her. She landed in a pile of stone boulders. Her head snapped backward onto the boulders, and she lays still. Yunsung shouted,

"Taki!"

Inferno was about to laugh, when he sensed a divine aura. Instinctively, the ninja swords morphed into the evil version of Omega Sword and Elk Shield. Cassandra's attack was blocked, yet it did little to deter her. The creature watched her gleefully,

"**_Ah, the messenger of Hephaesthus! Finally you've come!_**" The young girl answered bitterly,

"It's time for your punishment! A monster like you must be destroyed!" Inferno pushed her roughly, while watching the Greek,

"**_The gods are getting desperate, I think! Every now and then, they send a young warrior and you're the youngest…_**" Cassandra answered with her warcries; she attacked ferociously. At the moment, she managed to insert the sword to the creature's right shoulder. Inferno grunted, yet she shouted,

"Seraphim Blade Twist!" She spun Omega Sword around 360 degrees, before kicking the fiery back with her left leg. The creature was thrown facedown to the ground. Xianghua cheered,

"Good job, Cassie!" The Greek girl brushed her hair, when she saw Inferno was rising back. The creature turned to the inflicted wound; there was a bright light shone out from the wound. Yet, the infernal creature merely brushed the wound and it was closed again. Cassandra put an offensive stance, while her opponent went into a relaxed posture. The creature spoke again,

"**_You're good, but not good enough to save your big sister…_**" The young girl gritted her teeth,

"**_Charade's memories were in my head…_**" The creature continued, while pointing his head, "**_I believe that it relishes the moment when your sister met her demise…when her blood spilled to the ground…_**"

"Sister…" Realizing the implication, Link shouted,

"Miss Cassandra, don't listen the fiend! He tries to distract you…" Turned to the elf, then to the creature, she answered,

"Are you doing this on purpose? If so, it won't work!" Inferno didn't answer, but the eye on his 'Nemea Shield' peered disgustedly. The creature nodded,

"**_Ah, I see! Do you know the secret between your sister and the nuke-nin? I believe you don't know at all…_**" Now Cassandra looks shocked and furious at the same time. She immediately charged toward the creature without thinking anymore. She slashed quickly, but the creature evaded it easily. When the Greek tried to smack her shield, it was blocked already by another 'shield'. She shuddered when the 'shield' touched her; it was slick and fleshy,

"EEEK! You're definitely not my type." Cassandra crouched beneath the creature and dashed forward. She leaped to the air and slashed upward, before gone to downward shield spike. Inferno countered the attack with upward shield slap, and then mercilessly bashed the opponent to the opposite side. The young girl dragged few meters from the site.

The infernal creature sensed another attack and morphed his weapons into a corrupted imitation of White Storm. Yunsung frowned when the creature blocked his attack with…the imitation of his weapon. Yet he brushed the attack with kick. With furious attack, he cornered his opponent. Distancing himself, Inferno's cold glare watched the red-haired youth with satisfaction, as he spewed the acerbic words,

"**_Ah, doing your friend's last will or defending your girlfriend? Which one is true?_**" The Korean shouted,

"I can't wait to take you down!" Roared to his lung, he leaped and sent a wide horizontal slash. Instead blocking Inferno stormed him with a sudden kick and threw him away. He was about to turn around when he saw a whirling elbow blades. The creature sidestepped Talim instantly and quickly prepares his 'own' elbow blades. The Filipino girl rolled away, and sported Cao Ankana,

"I'm not going to run! I must fight!" Inferno took even more relaxed stance, while commenting,

"**_Ah, the priestess…driven by desire to heal the world_**," He glanced sinisterly to the unconscious Yunsung,

"**_Or swept back and fro by the unanswered passion…am I right?_**" Talim shouted,

"Sinunggaling ka! Tatapusin kita dito, halimaw!" The fiery creature laughed,

"**_My dear, you can deceive yourself but there is no way you can deceive Inferno! Your weapons speak for yourself…_**" As she hesitated, Talim could sense her family was waiting for her. She admitted that she has a crush to Yunsung and jealous to Cassandra…however that was not her objective. Strengthened herself, the priestess answered,

"You will not leave this place!" With a wind-like speed, she lunged to Inferno and punched the creature at his face exactly, backhanding with another blade. While his opponent was slightly blinded, she slipped to the other side and sliced the opponent's neck. Talim swiftly uses Wind Charmer, only to be met by Inferno's Wind Gale. She cursed,

"Walanghiyaka! Hanggang ngayon, mandaraya ka!" The fiery creature only gave her a grin. The incensed girl quickly gifted him with a leaping stab, following the somersault kick to its face. Inferno was knocked back with such attack. She followed with Wind Sault and knocked the creature with uppercut. The next attack would be upward thrust, as she crouched low. The Hellfire of Despair began to send a flip kick stomp to crush the girl, yet she evaded the attack and counterattack with a flying double kick toward her opponent. Shockingly, Inferno grabbed her left leg and she could felt a painful sensation around it. The creature cracked,

"**_A mistake…a terrible mistake, my dear…_**" Without waiting anymore, the fire creature dragged the girl and spun her violently, before throwing her to the other direction. Cassandra Alexandra was about to rise from the ground, when Talim hit her squarely and sent both of them sprawled unconscious. Xianghua screamed,

"Cassie! Talim!" She stared Inferno with look of hatred, while gripping her sword tightly. Beside her, Kilik lifted the Kali-Yuga, preparing to fight. In other side, Necrid wielded the Maleficus and Link lifted Hylian Shield and Master Sword. The Hellfire of Despair watched the remaining warriors without any expression and he said,

"**_Come down…all of you!"_**

Author's Note: Ok, this is the first part! For your information, the weapons that Inferno uses are the Soul Edge versions of everyone's weapons. I used that since I simply like its organic looks, including the eye. What will be the final result of this battle? What happened later to Nightmare and Ivy? Will the Soul Calibur returned on time? Just wait the second part and all questions will be answered. Send your reviews, reactions, critics (and as usual, flames) See you then.

Note: This is only the revision for the previous. For now, I just wait about Soul Calibur III to make my fanfic fit into the story.

Glossary:

Filipino:

ano nangyari sa kanya? – what happened to her?

Ang halimaw…buhay siya! – the monster…it's alive!

Pero, bakit hinde namatay tayong lahat?- but, why are all of us not die?

anong nangyari sa inyo?"-What happened to you?

Grabe…-Expression, almost equal with 'wow'

Ito ng dahilan bakit ako nandito!-This is the reason why I'm here

tuturuan ko ng leksyon ang mayabang halimaw ito- I'll teach that snobbish monster a lesson

Sinunggaling ka!-You are lying!

Tatapusin kita dito, halimaw-I will finish you here!

Walanghiyaka! Hanggang ngayon, mandaraya ka!- Shame! Until now, you're still cheater!


	13. Full Circle Part II

Full Circle

Part II

Kilik and Xianghua walked carefully, as they approached their opponent. Necrid and Link simply positioned themselves. Inferno stared them with indifference; he still held his own 'elbow blades'. The Chinese girl watched their surroundings. She saw Cassandra, Talim and Yunsung still unconscious; Taki and Yoshimitsu too. They didn't expect this development; the Hellfire of Despair attacked them physically and mentally. Somehow the creature could read their innermost thought. She wondered why Inferno didn't do the same thing during their last fight…suddenly something passed her mind,

_Soul Calibur…the opposite side of the Soul Edge…Inferno couldn't read my mind because I hold the Soul Calibur…_

She sighed in resignation; she didn't have Soul Calibur anymore. It was lost inside the Void of the World. No doubt, the accursed creature could read her mind now like an open book. Even so, Xianghua watched her foe with renewed determination,

_Okay, I'm not going to hold back! Here I come!_

Kilik watched Xianghua with concern; he assumed she wasn't ready to fight. Soul Calibur was nowhere to find. Suddenly, her face transformed into Xianglian's face. The young master shook his head, trying to wipe the painful memories. He said to himself,

_No, I won't let her suffer the same fate like Xianglian! Let it be me alone!_ Then he barked,

"Xiang, step back! I will be the one who fight this creature!" The Chinese girl protested,

"Kilik!" The young master turned to her with the severe expression,

"You can't fight this with strength alone. Please understand, Xianghua." Indignant, Xianghua shouted back to him,

"What's wrong with you, Kilik? We can face this creature together… What you're trying to do is too dangerous. " Link and Necrid looks confused with their conversation, especially when Kilik replied harshly,

"No, Xiang! I stand to my decision! It is my fight alone!" Then Inferno cracked,

"**_What is this? Lover's quarrel?"_ **Both warriors gave him a dark, sidelong glance. However it didn't intimidate the Catastrophe, instead he gestured to Xianghua,

"**_Probably you want to know why he acting strangely…you reminded him to someone familiar…"_** The Chinese girl startled to hear that, while Kilik gritted, whispering in angry tone,

"Shut up!" The creature continued,

**_"He was afraid that you will suffer the same fate like what his friend did…oh, what is love!_**" Unable to hold his emotion, Kilik shouted, pointing Inferno with Kali-Yuga,

"Listen, can you hear my soul scream!" Xianghua watched him with disbelief; for long time she thought that she was only a friend to him. Now she realized what inside the warrior's heart. Suddenly the girl shoved her sword close to Kilik's jugular vessels, much surprise to Link. As the young master glanced to her, she spoke,

"I can't let you go any further." Undaunted, he answered,

"Xianghua, I can't let you risk your life!" She didn't flinch, holding her sword tightly,

"You _loves_ me because I'm looks alike like your deceased friend…You don't want me to fight, because I might get killed like your friend…answer me, Kilik!" The Master of Ling-Sheng-Su sighed,

"It's too dangerous from here on out. That's why I must go alone." He stared her,

"Xianghua, it is true that you reminded me to her, but I like you because of who you are! I…I just don't want the tragedy repeated again…you are everything to me…yes, I love you!" The sentences struck Xianghua deeply. She misunderstood his motives, and easily took the creature's lying words. Before she said anything, Link shouted,

"Look out, Miss Xiang! Master Kilik!" They saw Inferno threw his morning star toward both of them. Risking his neck, Kilik whirled Kali-Yuga, blocking the attack. At the same time, Xianghua rolled forward and began to send her attack,

"Mei Guai Hua!" She slashed vertically to the creature's midsection, however the fiery creature immediately countered the attack by lunged forward and twirled the transformed weapon to her mid. Yet, the former Imperial Guard blocked the attack gracefully. Her face turned into a mask of rage,

"You bastard! You are not only trying to pit me against Kilik, but you also copying my styles as well!" The Hellfire chuckled,

"**_Among others, both of you were predictable! My experience from our last fight…_**" The creature was unable to continue his words when Necrid stormed him. The Maleficus and Inferno's No Name impacted very hard even sent the surrounding tremble. The green creature stared its opponent with hatred, while the Catastrophe returned with the malicious glare. With one accord, they were knocked backward. The fiery creature spoke,

**_"Ah, long time not to see you! It seems you have not forgotten our fight two centuries ago…"_** Memories rushed back into Necrid. He still remembers when he had sacrificed his own family and honor to the unholy creature. He almost killed his revered ruler, if the mysterious man with a golden right eye and a gigantic scythe didn't stop him. He went to challenge Inferno and met a tragic defeat. He was thrown into the Void, while the thankless creep left him to die. Growled bitterly, the green creature held the Maleficus above its head, as it shone brighter. Inferno simply watched; he didn't trouble with his inability to reproduce the same weapon. He gestured tauntingly,

**_"Come, avenge your loss!"_ ** As Kilik and Xianghua watched, Necrid leaped very high and attacked the creature with all his might,

"YEESSSGHS. DODTSU POGETDO!"

He unleashed Valar's Grasp, sending Inferno airborne. However, the creature quickly modified his fall into a forward flip and produced…two blades at the same time,

**_"Gentle Wave!"_** Necrid took the false attack, and get his side slammed as the result. The green creature grunted. He tried to backhand Inferno, but the opponent had avoided the attack very easily and sent the Bridgette Slice, sending him bleed profusely. Still, Necrid refused to give the ground. Stepping out, he let out his Grand Valar to cut the opponent. Instantly, Inferno transformed his weapons into…the corrupted Valentine and unleashes Menace Slash, which slammed the green creature away. Swiftly, Necrid rose and dive toward his opponent. Inferno was knocked forward by unknown force and grabbed immediately by the green creature, who threw him again to the air. As his opponent was helpless on the air, he juggled and brought the opponent crashing down head first. The dirt broke into a large crater instantly.

Roared with a demonic wrath, the Catastrophe unleashed his power. He threw Necrid quite a step. Being beaten by his Beowulf was a humiliation for him. This time, he won't give the creature any chance. Striding with inhuman speed, the fiery creature took the massive feet and threw the creature into the air. Using the momentum, the green creature rolled out and morphed his weapon into a huge sword. The Hellfire had anticipated it, leaping forward he swung his weapon that slowly transformed into a huge Zweihander…

**_"Rook Splitter!"_** With a huge clang, the weapon impacted to each other… With utter surprise, Necrid watched the Maleficus broke into shards along with Inferno's Zweihander.

"GEH MOLAH."

He was dragged for the forth steps, until he stopped and vomited the blackish blood. The blaze upon his breastplate was dimmed and he fell after saying,

"ERRRGH!"

Xianghua shouted "Necrid!" Inferno shook its appendages when another attack came; this time from Link. With sudden anticipation, he locked the elf's Master Sword with his own and clangs the shield with the fleshy version of it. The creature cackled,

**_"Ah, the defender of Hyrule! It took you so long to come here…"_ **Link retorted,

"Excuuuse me, at least I find my way here! You will stop this for good…" The Hellfire leaned closer, whispering his venomous words,

**_"Your world is unspoiled; however it shall be mine as well as this! Perhaps you'll enjoy what my vision is…I wonder if…what her name is. Ah, Zelda…I assure she would share the same fate as Sophitia Alexandra when I visit Hyrule…"_ **These words burned deeply inside the elf's heart. He suddenly kicked the creature at its midsection, and followed with jumping to its back and tapping his sword two times. Then he flipped the creature with his sword and monkey flip again, throwing his opponent faraway.Even so, Inferno looks untroubled. Link watched the creature grimly,

"Never! You won't make it to Hyrule! There won't be a place for you there once I finished with you…!" The elf quickly charging his weapon, which glow into a blue light. As the fiery creature attacked, he sent a mighty horizontal slash that knocking the foe aback. He quickly pulled his bow and aimed toward the creature. The arrows passed the fiery creature without harming him at all. Link immediately followed it with his boomerang, but the Catastrophe deflected the attack easily. As a last resort, he pulled something and threw it to the opponent. The fiery eyes shone with a surprise, when the bomb was flown to him. It was exploded with a massive bang and shook the very foundation of Tartaros. Kilik, Necrid and Xianghua had to dive for cover as the hellish conflagration roared around. When the smoke subsidized, the flames around the creature roared furiously and he laughed again until he saw someone in front of him…the blood red cape that covered the black figure and the greenish glare. Link was lying unconscious beneath him. Silence reigned until Inferno chuckled cautiously,

**_"Hellspawn, you have come at last…did Malebolgia send you to claim me?"_ **Spawn shocked, but he didn't show it beneath his façade,

"How do you know that? Are you expecting me?"

**_"Simple, Soul Edge represent the pure culmination of a catastrophic power…every demons knew that,"_** Inferno glanced to the wounded Necrid, **_"Including him…in fact, you will be perfect by claiming me…you will be what Malebolgia wanted…the manifestation of the hellish fury…"_** Spawn squirmed; he already guessed the implication and it loathed him. The Hellfire continued,

**_"I do, however, offer you a counterproposal! Join me and I shall make you into a warrior that Malebolgia can't even defeat…we shall claim our right together! Do you want to have your life back? Do you accept my counterproposal?_" **The Hellspawn pondered Inferno's counterproposal; it looks promising! Yet, he would damn his soul thrice by doing this! With a command, the cape transformed into Agony and he went into a fighting mode. He shouted,

"Never! I have seen what you have done through Nightmare! You_ enslaved_ the poor man! What the difference between you and Malebolgia then? The only difference is you look easier…" The fiery creature looks furious with the rejection, and he quickly transformed his own Agony,

_"If you won't be turned, then prepare to be destroyed, Hellspawn!"_ Before the creature charged in close range, Spawn whipped his axe first, sending the creature airborne. Then the green mist enveloped the Catastrophe, as the warrior from Hell attacked fiercely to his own shadow. Inside, Inferno was buffeted and battered senselessly. Suddenly, the creature broke through the mist. The Hellspawn greeted him,

"Shadow Stalker!" With a mighty slash, the fiery creature fell crumpled, yet still able to deflect the next attack. Its foe immediately sent Demonic Killer that threw him very far. Spawn immediately pursued without mercy. Instantly he levitated and summoned the next attack,

"Hell Spiral!" Whirling his own body, he lurched toward Inferno, who immediately blocked. However, he was pulled into the spin and went airborne. The creature curled, as his body crushed the ground. He was surprised to see the Hellspawn was side-stepping him and slashed with Decapitator style! The axe passed harmlessly between his shoulder and neck. Without warning, Inferno grabbed Spawn and hurled him to the nearest cliff. The cliff was unable to bear the impact, and instantly buried the warrior from Hell. To others' shock, Spawn burst out like a scepter from the grave, levitating above. His green eyes glow brighter as he unleashed Necro Rage toward the fiery creature and beat it senselessly. When it finally thrown to the ground, the Hellspawn followed with grab the creature at its neck and stared him. Instead, the creature mocked,

**_"What's up, Hellspawn? Are you getting weaker? Not able to finish me?"_** Spawn answered that with throwing him to the air as he levitated. To his surprise, Inferno landed on the ground nimbly and he had transformed 'Agony' into Chained Scythe and Morning Star. Gripping the weapon at the middle, the hellish creature quickly wrapped it around the Hellspawn's body and brought him to the ground. Not satisfied with that, he slammed the immovable opponent to the rocks. Had he was human, Spawn was sure he wouldn't stand this abuse for long. With hideous glee, the Hellfire said,

**_"You can't expect to beat me, much more Malebolgia, young Hellspawn! Perhaps I will end your suffering here for good…"_** However, a sword whizzed past its head, forcing him to abandon its plan. The creature was stunned to see Xianghua back in action. Without giving any chance, the Chinese girl pursued the creature. At the same time, Kilik was helping Spawn to unloose the weapon. However, the spikes around the chains hampered their efforts.

"It's better for you to help your friend, warrior. I can handle this by myself…" The young master shook his head,

"No, Xiang can handle that! She said that I must help you…" Spawn was silent for a while, and then he said,

"Do it quickly, I'm afraid your friend was in trouble right now…"

The tide was turned unexpectedly when Inferno produced his own 'No Name'. Xianghua pit her skill as far as she could, however the surrounding was hostile. Her energy was sapped by the intense heat around Tartaros. For now, the creature managed to match her style. When Inferno stabbed low, she quickly countered with mid stab and followed with another. The creature went into Lian Hua Upper, but she blocked it with Rhythm Break and Shan Ji.

**_"The fight is got interesting now…"_** The girl refused to parlay with him. Instead she focused his Ki in order to balance herself. She couldn't afford to be swayed by the creature of Hell. So focused in the fight, she didn't notice Kilik was coming toward Inferno. The youth leaped to the air and shouted,

"Phoenix Pounce!" He quickly vaulted Inferno off to the air, and whipped the creature to the ground again. When it fell with the crashing sound, he went to Xianghua and said,

"How's that? Since you won't back down, therefore I won't let you fight alone…we shall bear this together!" The Chinese girl teased with a mischievous smile,

"You think you can keep up with me?" Kilik nodded,

"I just want to be with you, Xiang!" She replied,

"Thanks, that was fun! We live in a dangerous world. Whatever happened, I won't regret it, Kilik!" Then they kissed each other when the Catastrophe rose again. Saw the scene, the creature clapped,

**_"Bravo, I was touched with this! Too bad, I feel obliged to cut short your budding romance…but there is no reason to fret! Hades will gather both of you in afterlife…"_** Kilik stared him with a sharp, but tranquil look, and spoke clearly,

"Listen to the beat of my soul!You're not going anywhere, Inferno! We'll end your threat for good…"

**_"Good, another reason to cut you into pieces! Both of you will live in pieces!"_** He immediately transformed Chained Morning Star and Scythe and roared with all unholy powers toward the couple. Kilik and Xianghua instantly entered the fighting stance. As Inferno slashed horizontally, the former Imperial Guard sliced its mid with Lan Hua Slice. Accordingly, the young Master of Ling-Sheng-Su compounded the attack together, making it difficult for Inferno to break them.

"Feung Yun Feint!" She kicked the fiery creature at its skeletal chin, and followed by Kilik's Cutting Sadness. Inferno kissed the ground, however he managed to avoid the follow-up attack. Now the flame inside grew redder and furious. He whirled its weapon dangerously and charged again.

"Tien E Sheang!" Xianghua bashed the fiery head with No Name and grabbed its arm, twist it hard behind Inferno's back with a sick "popping" sound. She then yanks back hard on the arm with another sick "popping" sound before slicing them in the midsection with her sword sending him to the ground. Before Kilik followed the attack, the creature blocked it with his scythe, sending it backward. The warrior immediately whirled Kali-Yuga to fend off the attack. It dawned inside his mind.

_Inferno can't read our style, because we're fighting as one! He can read every one of us individually, but not when we're together…_ This thinking spur Kilik's spirit and he renewed his attack again.

This new development disturbed Inferno; he used to be fight one-on-one but never fought a pair like them. Even so, he didn't see the necessity to use the true Soul Edge. He still enjoying the fight, perhaps it's time to use what Charade experienced before…

Spurred with the sudden change, Xianghua increased her attack and began to take the riskiest maneuver. In another hand, Kilik preferred the cautious stance. He frowned when seeing his companion started to venture the risk.

"Circle Breaker Feint!" She mixed mid slash with butterfly kicks, which forcing Inferno to defend itself. The young master tried to pry the creature, but it won't budge. He warned,

"Be careful, Xiang! I don't like his stance…he must be planning something…" The Chinese girl replied,

"Come on!" In reality, the Hellfire learned much from her style and he felt now it's the right time to counterattack! Xianghua shouted,

"Muu Jiann!" Suddenly, the fiery creature had recharged his Soul Charge and its weapon was engulfed by flame. He impacted the attack with her sword, and knocking her backward.

"Xianghua!" As Kilik went to help, the Catastrophe turned back and sent the morning star to him. Taken by surprise, the young master lifted Kali-Yuga. The attack was blocked, but the impact hit him and he felt his chest was crushed inside.

"Kilik!" Ignoring the danger, she went forward. Inferno quickly sent a vertical slash with its scythe. The girl blocked with her sword, but the force was too powerful. Her sword was shattered into shards and she hurled back to the ground. Cassandra and Kilik screamed,

"Noooo! Xiang!" Slowly, the Chinese girl forced herself to rise, and felt the excruciating pain on her sword arm. She saw some shards embedded inside her palm, while a huge gash across bleed profusely. With this wound, she barely holds her sword and defenseless.

As she stared her bleeding hands, Kilik roared and unleashed a flurry of attacks toward Inferno. Inside his mind, he could see what happened in the Ling-Sheng-Su temple at its very last moment. He heard the cries of the dead and the damned as the fire spread from here over the world. He pours it out, the hate…the lust for revenge. Barely taken out, Inferno created his 'Kali-Yuga' and blocked the attack many times. The young master shouted in desperation,

"Kali-Yuga, show me the path!" However, the accursed creature quickly use Cutting Sadness by kicking his head and spin its weapon around Kilik's upper torso, before he threw him hardly to the ground. The warrior coughed blood, and he tasted the sweet bitterness on his lips. The same taste when Xianglian kissed her for the last time. Soon, the whole world would know this taste, this pain…_his pain_. He could not let it happen. Forcing himself, he attacked the creature again. Xianghua screamed again,

"Kilik, no!" She felt helpless, unable to do anything as the evil creature kicked her companion around. Everyone was too weak to continue the fight, even Spawn and Necrid. It seems they would end here…while the world will be doomed under Soul Edge's reign of terror. Tears rolled on the girl's cheek

_Mother…I failed you! I couldn't even stop Inferno this time…_

Then he turned to the wounded Necrid who rose again and suddenly shove his massive hand into his breastplate. The creature screamed in pain as he pulled something from his chest…from there a black ball with red halo came out. At the same time, Necrid's eyes blazed brightly and the ball instantly transformed into a massive sword in his hand. He shouted,

"KORAH MEGOY. INFERNO, EYOOS." The Catastrophe turned his attention with disbelief,

**_"It can't be…it is Chaos! The legendary weapon! The Origin of Existence before me!"_ ** Necrid use the chance to swing his Rage Tail, swiping the opponent away from Kilik. The fiery creature once again turned to his original weapons and swung it dangerously toward the green creature.

While Xianghua sobbed, a calm and dignified voice spoke inside her,

_My daughter, don't be sad…_ _You were born to complete an important task... Cut your own path through and uncertain future._ The girl turned around,

"Mother?" In the midst of fighting between Necrid and Inferno, a faint light glowed afar. Slowly but sure, the light came close and closer. Xianghua noted its presence. With a blinding light and speed, it crashed near the Chinese girl. Supported by his staff, Kilik croaked,

"Xianghua!" For a moment, the battle stopped as the silvery light shone around…the sleek sword with a fork-like edge. In contrast with the surrounding, the light that the sword radiated was soothing and tranquil. Xianghua immediately recognize the blade,

"Krita-Yuga…Soul Calibur…" Inferno's eye widened with horror as he saw its counterpart,

**_"Noo, it can't be…this is not true…!"_** He turned nervously to Necrid who still held Chaos, but then turned to the Soul Calibur. His wrath blazed in consuming flame, but his fear rose like a vast black smoke to choke him. For he knew his deadly peril and the thread upon which his doom now hung. He screamed,

**_"NO! I won't let you to cheat me from my victory!" _** With a sudden movement, the creature from hell swept Necrid away and strode toward the girl. He whirled the scythe furiously and threw it to her direction. The voice urged Xianghua,

_Cut your own path through and uncertain future!_ She nodded,

"I won't let you down, Mother!" She grabbed the hilt when the scythe almost hit her. Then a blinding light enveloped her. When the light subsidized, Cassandra, Talim, Taki and Kilik saw…Xianghua changed into something. She looks ethereal inside the light; there is no sign of wounds. The priestess exclaimed,

"Parang isang diwata…ang ganda niya." The young master nodded,

"A goddess…" Cassandra was speechless, while Spawn surprised,

"I can't believe my eyes…" Link who just conscious, shook his head,

"Excuse me…am I dreaming?" Necrid took quite a distance; he believed that this matter had been taken over from him.

They saw Xianghua blocked the scythe with Soul Calibur; she looks confident and unafraid. She spoke clearly,

"Sorry I'm late. I'll get you this time." When she twitched her sword, the scythe trembled and disintegrated into nothingness. Not only that, the effect crept into the chain and consumed the rest of the weapon. It was vanished with a moan. Inferno realized that his end was at hand, but he wouldn't give up without fighting. Knuckling his flaming hands, he shouted insanely,

_**"It doesn't matter whether you have Soul Calibur or not! You will die here, I assure you! You hear that! You are going to die! Behold the wrath of the true Soul Edge!"** _ Instantly, the flame around Tartaros roared like a raging sea. Inferno burned brighter than before, and something like a howl of demons echoed along the ridges. To other's amazement, the flame came forth from the creature and whirled along with its howl. Slowly but sure, the flame materialized into something like Nightmare's Zweihander but much different. If that was weapon, then it must be the most terrible weapon that a mortal ever seen. The thousands of large eyes adorned the hilt up to the body; while the teeth replaced the steel around it. It chatters and jabbers with intelligible voices. The voices urged to spill blood for them, to satisfy their thirst and it hungers for more souls. Yunsung stared it with utter disgust,

"Is that the _real_ Sword of Salvation? How foolish I am! It was a lie…The Sword of Salvation is a lie!"

Inferno pulled the living sword with ease and whirled it. He stared Xianghua with gleaming madness in his eyes, when he spoke it seems the swore also spoke with the same eerie voice,

**_"This is the true form of Soul Edge! Hephaestus indeed had created the best weapon, but without his knowledge, Soul Edge…we had taken our own life! We refuse to chafe and end as a mere tool; we desired more than that. We desires soul…total domination and absolute power!"_**

**_"But the god won't tolerate such thinking; he branded us as an abomination. To counter our so-called 'evil influence', he created other swords that willingly serve him and give to the foolish people who wanted to do more! But none like Soul Calibur!"_** Cassandra turned to his Omega Sword and Nemea Shield. She pondered Sophitia's story about them.

Xianghua replied calmly, "You are wrong, Inferno…everything in this world must be balanced, and therefore Soul Calibur must come in order to balance everything. It is like _yin_ and _yang_…good and evil cannot co-exist in harmony, nobody allowed to have the upper hand to each other. Soul Calibur is not the instrument of the gods; it was choose to fight you by its own! It wanted to end your terror! " The creature was infuriated, but continued its parley,

**_"If you destroy us, it won't have its purpose anymore! Do you wish to do that? Beside, girl, what is the difference with me? It used you as I used Nightmare…are you enjoying to be a puppet?"_** Everyone gritted his or her teeth; it seems the creature still persist to confuse Xianghua with its lies. The only reply was a smile. Then she lifted Soul Calibur in preparation to fight, staring the infernal creature with a penetrating look,

"So be it! Evil must be destroyed! It's the only way!" Instantly, the Soul Edge was engulfed by flame of anguish and regret. The Hellfire uttered his exasperation,

**_"HADES! You won't hold me any longer! You must let me out from this blasted place, after I slay your puppet champion! Nobody will defeat the Hellfire of Despair! None!"_** The fiery red aura surrounded him, while the peaceful blue one covered Xianghua. Then they charged each other…

Inferno immediately put Quick Backspin Slash toward his enemy, yet Xianghua countered it with Striking Lian Hua. When two weapons impacted, it clanged like a thunder and a wail of demons was heard. The fiery creature knocked two steps backward. The Chinese girl held her ground. Infuriated, the creature turned to Shadow Splicer. In anticipation of that, she went into Woan Shyoung Swing. After avoiding the slash, she kicked the creature at its face, sending it spin. Before she sent Circle Breaker to follow, Inferno counters with Break Kick. However, Xianghua had changed her previous attack into Ta. It knocked the fiery creature out of balance once again. Xianghua lunges forward pushing out her sword at the opponent. However, the opponent had leaped to the air and prepares a vertical chop. Undaunted, the girl let Beautiful Rhythm that knocked the opponent quite a distance. Taking the momentum, Inferno rushed toward her with its shoulder. She side-stepped a little to her left and pushes out with Soul Calibur, and then ducks and swings her sword at the opponent's legs. To counteract the attack, the creature went into Maelstorm. He whirled like a twister. Xianghua didn't flinch; she uses Vengeful Lian Hua that spun the Hellfire off the balance. The creature stared her with hatred, and then whirled Soul Edge over his head twice, hitting high and then mid. He was ready to unleash its final attack,

**_"HEEAAAH, Terran Stomper!"_** The girl didn't want to lose,

"Bea Her Hua! Eat this!" Both of them had Soul Charge already. This time, the deafening crack was heard to every corner of Tartaros and the scream of an angry demon filled the air. Everyone watched that the evil sword shattered into large pieces…or chunks. Soul Edge was broken for the third time! At the same time, the force knocked both combatants quite a distance. Kilik could see the protective aura around Xianghua faded. Lifting himself, Inferno shrieked with utter fury,

**_"This is not over yet!"_** As he lifted his right hand, the shards instantly sharpened and zoom toward the girl who seems not realized it. Yoshimitsu shouted,

"A dirty trick!" Talim warned,

"Ate, look out!" When Xianghua turned, the shards were dangerously close to her. She was unable to deflect them with Soul Calibur until someone flew between her. The furious clanking was heard. The girl saw her helper clearly,

"Cassie!" Cassandra Alexandra blocked the attack with her Nemea Shield, and the Grecian fury burned deeply inside her bosom. She stared the creature with a dangerous look.

"Don't... take me lightly!" Ignoring the searing heat, the Greek girl crouched and dashed with a lightning speed toward Inferno, sending him a wide vertical slash. The creature and Xianghua stunned, while she extended Omega Sword with her right hand, saying,

"This is for Sophitia…and Hephaestus!" Inferno saw a faint slice on his armor with horror, but it shone brightly. Then it cracked rapidly, allowing more light to come out. He screamed full of agony as the light spread all around its body. He slowly floated on the air, as the others watched with mixed expression. The infernal creature shrieked with anger and disbelief,

**_"NOOOOO! It can't be! I'm lost again…to Soul Calibur and…to Hephaestus! It can't be true…I am the Hellfire of Despair…the undefeated Soul Edge…I can't lose to…the…mortals like…you…Hades…had…cheated…me…"_** The light crept into his face, making his voice garbled,

**_"This…is…not…the…end…if…I…can't…go…out…from…Tar…tar…os…none…of…you …can…leave…this…place…alive…feel…my…final…wrath…and …anguish!"_ **With that, Inferno exploded into a massive firestorm, that forcing everyone to keep away from the explosion. Amidst the eye of the storm, the true Soul Edge came out from what remains from Inferno. Its eye noted a crack above and in no time went into the crack…

Back to Osthreinsburg Chapel, Raphael treads the stairs slowly and saw Nightmare and Ivy were lying nearby. Quickly, he took out the knight's helmet and checked him. He slightly relieved to find that the youth still alive. He turned to the Englishwoman who still unconscious. Her chest raises gently, a sign that she still well. The French couldn't help to adore her shapely body, however deep inside he was disappointed. Soul Edge was gone…along with the warriors and the Hellspawn. Without the sword, there is no way he could secure Amy's future. His strength was not enough…is the fate laughing to him?

Suddenly at the east wall, a sound of crack came out and something emerged from beneath. Raphael saw a huge sword with a shut eye appeared from the crack. Valentine clanked in a sudden movement, wary to its presence. He whispered hopefully,

"Soul Edge…" Leaving the people behind, he walked toward the blade. He could hear a disembodied voice spoke to him,

_Come to me…claim me and possess the untold power! _ At the same time, Nightmare awoke and saw what Raphael does. He croaked helplessly,

"Raphael…" But the Frenchman didn't listen as he walked closer to the Soul Edge. The unearthly voice spoke to him,

_Take and claim me! I will give you an untold power…the power that the mortals never dreamed…the power that a god hopes to wield!_ Then he stopped for a while, and turned his attention to the weakened Azure Knight. He said mockingly,

"You can't do that, do you?" The knight surprised with the sudden change of attitude,

"What?" Raphael smirked, while pointing Soul Edge,

"You're too weak for that, aren't you? You are not deserved to hold such magnificent weapon anymore…since beginning this is what I wanted and you are merely a pawn to fulfill that, Nightmare. With you, I have get rid my enemies and now I have no further use of you anymore…" Realizing the treachery, Nightmare/Siegfried slumped. He mistook the French as the one who really concern to him as a human, but in the end, he was the same like the others. He wanted Soul Edge and he was fool to trust him as a friend. Not only had that he failed his vow to keep that weapon away from the others. The knight forced himself to stand, but fell to the ground. He stared the noble with hatred as he growled ferally,

"You conceited, wretched human!" Raphael laughed,

"Yes, say what you want!" The black, stormy cloud enveloped the entire chapel; the thunder could be heard aloud. He turned to Soul Edge and declared,

"You have failed, but I will not!" At the moment he gripped and yanked the evil sword, its eye opened widely and shook violently in his right hand. Raphael held it tighter with both hand. He saw the sword was distorted in form and the thousand voices rushes into his head. He struggled to keep his hold, not wanting to lose such valuable sword. The Soul Edge emitted a purple lightning to the heavens and the demons howled to hail the new bearer of the Soul Edge. The Frenchman uses his entire faculty to keep his sanity intact; he wouldn't allow this sword to control him. It must be _he _who controls the sword, not the otherwise.

_This is for my beloved Amy! For her future!_ In the terrible battle of will, the evil sword decided to concede and make a compromise that worked better for both. Slowly, the sword somehow shrunk in size and more resemble to Flambert. The difference is it still retained the fork-edge and a single eye close to its hilt. Raphael gasped for a moment, before he lifted the transformed sword. Somehow the transformation of the sword affected him as well. His skin became blanched white and his eyes were slightly red. Even so, he smiled victoriously,

"So this is Soul Edge... hm, hm, heh, he, hah, hah, haa!" His laugh echoed beyond the ruins of Osthreinsburg Castle, even to the darkest corner of the forest. As the noble gloated in his supposed victory, a weak voice called,

"It isn't over yet…Raphael Sorel!" He turned around and saw Isabella Valentine standing behind. Though weakened and severely injured during her fight with Cervantes, the Englishwoman looks determined as her golden eyes blazed furiously. Nightmare withdrew to the nearest ruin as the confrontation between them was inevitable. She pointed Valentine to the Soul Edge,

"Leave the Soul Edge and I shall spare your life…" The French looked at her disdainfully,

"You are in no position to make demands, Mademoiselle Valentine…Soul Edge is mine, as you see and I have no intention to give it away," Ivy gritted her teeth,

"Prepare to be destroyed along with that! The accursed sword had destroyed my life by corrupting both of my fathers; I had taken oath to destroy Soul Edge completely and only a disaster can prevents me doing so," Raphael frowned, while the evil blade reverberated in his hand, showing its displeasure.

"That, I cannot allow." He spoke dangerously calm, but hinted a veiled threat, "Since you shared a common link with Soul Edge, I will not kill you. But I have no compunction about making your life unpleasant-painfully unpleasant." She replied,

"I can't go back now. Nothing shall be spared!" After saying that, Ivy unfurled Valentine into a whip form. Likewise, Raphael took his stance, entering Preparation I. He felt it wasn't heavy, but very light. In addition, he sensed euphoria as he swung the blade and thrilled with the prospect of fight. It looks…addicting and he relished that.

"En garde, Countess! Be careful…" In response of that, Ivy unleashed Menace Slice toward her opponent.

The French immediately parried the swipe attack with Soul Edge, which clanged loudly with Valentine. Then he evaded the follow-up attack easily. He immediately advances into Preparation III, saying,

"Give up, Countess! You can't expect beat me, especially your condition is not supporting…"

"You're revolting! Be careful or you'll feel the pain. Mind Shatter!" As she performed the roundhouse attack, the Sorel Master sent the Infinite Stabbage that rendered the attack impotent. He quickly evaded in circular manner. Refusing to leave the battle, the Countess let her final attack,

"Embrace of Lust!" Without his knowledge, Raphael was dragged to face down.

"Calamity Symphony!" When rising up, the French saw the segments of Valentine were zooming toward him. He lifted Soul Edge 'rapier' in front of him,

"You are not enough to stop me. Show what you can do, Soul Edge!" The huge eye throbbed with ecstasy and Raphael moved with unbelievable swiftness. He scattered the attacking segments calmly and not even a single segment touched him. With a malicious grin, he lunged toward the shocked Ivy, bringing his blade toward her chest,

Ivy realized in a split second, her life on Earth would be ended by the sword that she pursued for long time. She let Valentine's hilt fall to the ground, whispering,

_This is the end of my cursed journey…_Before the tip of Soul Edge bit her, suddenly something bulky moved between them. Blood spurted, but it wasn't Ivy's. When she opened her eyes, she saw a blond hair mixed with crimson strands flew before. She trembled,

"Nightmare…" Raphael also stunned when he saw the knight caught Soul Edge with his normal left hand. Blood dripped from the wound. Nightmare/Siegfried stared him with a look of compassion and anger,

"There…will…be no…more death…done in…my name…again!" Irritated, the Frenchman soul charged his attack and pushing the blade forward, ripping the flesh and penetrated the Azure armor. Cutting through steel and muscles, the Soul Edge came through Siegfried's shoulder and finally stabbed Ivy above her heart. Both screamed in pain, as Raphael smiled and said,

"So be it…my friend," Gnashing his teeth, the German knight gathered his last strength to his deformed right hand and unleashed,

"Jade Crusher!" He punched the noble squarely at his face. Raphael knocked backward and pulled Soul Edge forcibly from his victims in the process, thus creating further agony. He hit the nearby wall and fell crumpled to the stone floor; a hollow clatter rang in his ears as the blade slid to the ground. At the same time, Siegfried staggered back, his face pale with shock. Blood gushed from the stab wound above his breastbone and he collapsed to the ground. Ivy reeled back from the knight, pressing her hand to her wound. She tried to stanch the flow of blood, but it seeped between her fingers and poured onto the floor. The Englishwoman tripped over the knight and fell next to his bloody form.

For a moment, silence reigned as the three unconscious figures lying inside the chapel…as the white-cloaked figure watched what transpired below, while brandishing the gigantic scythe…his golden right eye gleamed.

Author's note: Okay, this is it! Soul Calibur have returned to turn the tide of battle, but the result was otherwise. What about the warriors who left behind in Tartaros? What is the ending? I'm afraid you have to wait for the last chapter, 'Epilogue'. I decided to use the complete Soul Edge for Inferno's final weapon, to express the loathsome aspect of the evil sword. Though it not came out yet, one of Soul Calibur III's characters makes his cameo here. Finally, if you want to express your minds in form of critics, reactions, reviews (or flames), just tell me. Visiting me is welcome as well. See you next time!

Glossary:

Filipino:

Parang isang diwata- like a goddess

ang ganda niya-she's very beautiful


	14. Epilogue

Epilogue

Few seconds later, the bloodshot eye upon the rapier-like blade throbbed vigorously. Simultaneously, Raphael opened his eyes and stared its surrounding. He noted blood upon his nose, and licked it. Somehow, he liked its taste. The French took the Soul Edge hurriedly, giving the last glance to the unconscious knight and Englishwoman. He almost thinks to finish off them; however his mind urged to abandon the plan since he was drained out after claiming Soul Edge. The image of Amy entered,

_I must return to Amy at once…_He spat toward them, cursing,

"Both of you are lucky…let's hope this is our last meeting," Then he left, without realizing the white-cloaked figure watched him closely.

Meanwhile at Tartaros, the warriors were tried to get out from the roaring firestorm. Soul Calibur's aura had protected them from the raging flame, but for how long? Yunsung shouted,

"We have to get out from here!"

"I fear," Yoshimitsu replied, "We may not survive that long. The only one who can bring us back, Soul Edge had been destroyed…" Cassandra cut him,

"There must be the way out," She turned to Spawn, who shook his head ruefully,

"Though I'm Hellspawn, I don't have power over this realm…only my Master does,"

Link added, "We're going to burn alive here…" The young master of Ling-Sheng-Su said,

"Don't give up, we had been thorough this…we can return to the Earth!" Xianghua nodded in agreement, though she was perspired heavily while keeping the wave of fire at the bay. Necrid whirled Chaos in form of staff, to swiping the fiery tongues away

Taki ignored them; instead she looked for someone,

"Talim?" She and Yunsung turned to the priestess who stared the firestorm around them. The Filipino spoke clearly,

"Ito hindi ang ordinaryo apoy…sila mga nawawalang kalulua…all of them were killed by Inferno and absorbed into the Soul Edge," Everyone turned to her. She gripped her elbow blade tightly, while gritting her teeth,

"Nararandaman ko ang silang galit at kalungkutan. Ito ang nararandaman ko nakaraan labing-limang taon. Kailangan ko ibalik sila sa kanyang dati!" The girl stabbed her weapon on the ground and sat cross-legged on the arid ground. Yunsung asked,

"Talim, what are you doing?" The priestess didn't answer; instead she spread her arms in a summoning position and chanted in her dialect.

"Diwata ng hangin, narinig mo ng mga kalulua ito…ibalik mo sila sa dating anyo! Ibalik mo sila! Ibalik mo sila! IBALIK MO SILA SA DATING ANYO! IBALIK MO PARA NANAHIMIK SILANG LAHAT!" Suddenly, something strange happened. A strong wind came from nowhere and blew the firestorm away. The raging element tried to fight back, but somehow it was driven back by the wind. Talim focused her mind, using whatever she had learned as the Priestess of the Wind. She must restore those souls back to its former state, or else the balance was threatened. Sweat rolled all around her little body, making her skin slick. At first, the wind managed to keep the firestorm away, however the intense heat of Tartaros and the previous fight with Inferno had sapped her strength. The girl felt she was drained slowly. Then the blaze roared again and began to fell like shooting star around the warriors. Slow but sure, Talim's hand went down. The red-haired youth shouted worriedly,

"Talim! Don't do that, you will kill yourself!" The priestess ignored the warning. Realizing the grave situation, Kilik said,

"She can't do that alone!" He sprang toward the Filipino girl and thudded the Kali-Yuga,

"Master, I won't let you down!" Whirled the staff, the young master chanted the ward of protection and focused his Ki. During his training with Edge Master, he had learned how to unlock the Kali-Yuga's potential. Now it was the right time to put them in practice. He whirled the staff in front of him, before moved in front of Talim. At the same time, a huge wave of fire came toward them. Xianghua shouted,

"Kilik!"

Ivy gasped suddenly and rose from the floor; she saw that the wound above her breast wasn't too fatal. In other hand, the German was severely wounded. The deformed right hand has gone as the evil blood drained out. As he tried to rise, she took Valentine and pointed it to his neck. Startled, Siegfried turned to the Englishwoman, who looks grim and said weakly,

"Ivy…I…" The white-haired woman asked coldly,

"Why did you save me? Talk or I will kill you on the spot…" The youth coughed blood, before he continued to speak,

"It…never…my intention to be…Nightmare, but I had…allowed the Soul Edge to enslave me. For 4 years, I've waited this moment…though not as I expected…" He stared Ivy defiantly,

"If you want to kill me, do it! You want to destroy everything linked with Soul Edge, do you? For me, it was better to die in your hand than others…I'm ready…by then my father's soul would be in peace…" Actually, Ivy wanted to kill him immediately, after what he had done 4 years ago. She grinded her teeth, as she struggled inside. A spark of honor…long forgotten after the revelation. The nuke-nin's words echoed inside,

_Your motives may outweigh your deeds, but they will never wash the blood on your hands, Ivy_. She had already shedding many blood just to avenge her past, but…this man…she faintly knew…had his blood spilled only to protect her…is truly an another way to redeem her evil past? She wanted to cut Siegfried's head, but she couldn't…slowly Ivy lowered Valentine and said chokingly,

"I want to kill you…" she hissed, "but I do owe you, don't I?" Unthinkably, she lifted the wounded German, much to his shock. He shouted,

"What do you want? You must not…" The Englishwoman glared fiercely, silencing him instantly,

"I am indebted to you for saving me from Raphael- and I detest being obliged to anyone." Without saying another word, she wrapped her arms around Siegfried and lifted with a strength he would not have thought she had. However, the massive azure armor prevented her to carry him further. He said,

"Let me discard my armor first, by then you won't have difficulty to carrying Me.…"Though suspicious, Ivy agreed and allowed him to take off the armor. Few hours later, the German threw the armor at the spot where they had been lying a while ago. Then they left the chapel that had been corrupted by the remaining energy of Soul Edge.

Miraculously, the fire didn't engulf the young master and the priestess; instead it was channeled into Kali-Yuga. Full with determination, Kilik continued his maneuver. The infernal aura was absorbed completely by the holy staff. As the result, the staff glowed into a red-hot light. The warrior felt that his hands were burned slowly, soon or later, he couldn't hold that. Yet, he persisted despite the blistering sensation bit his palms. Cassandra said,

"They won't last longer, if we don't do something!" The Manji nodded,

"We have to help what we can help…we must get out from here together!" Spawn stared with disbelief, while Xianghua replied,

"Elder is right! If we want to get out from this blasted place, we must work together…" The Korean grunted,

"Yes, that's what I want to hear! What are you waiting for?" Taki glanced to Mekki-maru,

"Mekki-maru, it seems you're destined to be with me! Though the Soul Edge fails to destroy you, I swore to use you for the goodness," Yoshimitsu lifted his beloved katana, which glowed blue,

"It seems we have to fight again!" Link, Cassandra and Necrid nodded. With one accord, they moved to aid their friends. Xianghua positioned herself beside Kilik, while Yunsung supported Talim who had already at the edge of exhaustion. The girl said weakly,

"Kuya Yunsung…" The red-haired youth said,

"Don't worry, I will support you! Talim, you're the closest friend I ever have. You are right; I don't need the Soul Edge, because I believe in myself and my friends! With that, I shall help Hwang to protect Choson from the invaders!" Though weakened, she smiled and said,

"Salamat, Kuya Yunsung!" Instantly, she felt energized again and chanted another spell. Meanwhile the young master said to the Chinese girl,

"Xiang…I…"

"Hush, for a long time, you always acted and does everything alone. Now there is someone who willing to lay their lives for you! Stop acting of being yourself!" Once again, the face of Xianglian appeared, but this time she was smiling to him. He returned the smile,

"I will not let anyone down! Thank you, Xianghua!" Ignoring the painful sensation at his hands and blisters, Kilik whirled Kali-Yuga furiously. In other place, Cassandra slashed the splashing flame around them and they dissipated under the divine aura of Hephaestus. Yoshimitsu and Taki caught the remaining blaze and extinguished the evil aura with their own weapons' aura. Link didn't want to lose; he intensified the power of Master Sword to cut the remaining evil. Without his knowledge, a tongue of fire crept toward him. Spawn instantly blocked the attack with his own cloak. The flame broke against the necroplasmic cloak like the surf against a rock and with as little effect. Surprised, the elf mumbled,

"Thanks…" The Hellspawn didn't answer and continued to deflect the remaining flames around them. Slowly, the firestorm was receding. . The evil aura, thought to be limitless in its power, gradually waned and the hellfire lost its sustenance. In the blink of an eye, it changed its form and scattered into the winds. The spiritual energies led astray righted their course and flowed toward this place. Most had been absorbed by Kali-Yuga, while the rest had been transformed into the weak bluish flame. Seeing those bluish flames, Talim smiled. She has succeeded to return those souls to the place where they belong,

_Manahimik na kayong lahat ngayon, mga kalulua. Hanggang sa huli…_She fell, however Yunsung had caught her.

The danger wasn't over yet; a huge quake shook their place and it started to crack. Cassandra shouted,

"We can't wait any longer! This place is going down…" As the fire around them subsidized, the green creature walked into the middle and shouted,

"HAYAAA! ZEZSO UMAZONS! GEH MOLAH" He morphed Chaos into a huge pointed sword and struck above the air. To everyone's surprise, the sword struck the sky of Tartaros and ripped it. The bright light shone upon the warriors. Xianghua cheered,

"Necrid had opened the way! He did it!" Her cheer was cut by a terrible crack that surrounded them. The place would collapse within a few minutes. At the same time, the green creature turned to the unconscious Talim and remembered something. She reminded him to his past…where his only ambition before was to serve his king and to see his children grew up. His mind screamed,

_There is no mistake that cannot be redressed; it is not beyond correction as long as you intend to do what is right!_ He shouted again, as he poured his strength toward Chaos and connecting it with where he was belong now…the Void,

"DESAWOHE. TERRRRY. OGATSEM! HAYO GETSZSU SEYAHO METZESHIN" The sound of crack above was heard simultaneously with the terrible quake below. Then the bright light flooded into Tartaros, and the warriors faded inside the light. With a monstrous roar, the place was collapsed into an ocean of fire…

In other place, two people were deep in concentration. Their brows were furrowed deeply as they considered every step they will take. Maxi and Mitsurugi stared to a board of go unmoving. Then the ronin moved his piece and took his opponent's. He gloated,

"Well, what do you think?" The pirate instead replied,

"Give more time, I bet you wouldn't smile again…"

"How come? We already play the same game for three days and I won three times…" Maxi sniffed,

"I'm sorry, Mitsurugi-san. My mind still thinking our departed friends…" For this, Mitsurugi was silent. After the blinding light took their friends, they immediately left the chapel, ignoring the unconscious knight and Englishwoman. Yet, they took the particular place nearby the Osthreinsburg Castle for watching whenever their friends would return or not, while playing Go. The pirate continued,

"Three days already passed and we still don't have news about them…had I realized them sooner I don't have to play with this silly game…" The ronin grunted,

"You says playing Go is silly? Nonsense! You say so because you can't win!" Irked, Maxi replied,

"Come on! Let's finish this!" Mitsurugi laughed,

"Don't know when to quit, do you?" Before they continued their game, a red beam came forth through the board of Go, shocking both of them. Instinctively, they distanced themselves from the place and prepared their own weapons. Slowly, the light filled the place. As the light disappeared, several figures appeared among them. Maxi instantly recognized them,

"It's them! They're alive!" The ronin could only startled,

"Huh?" They saw Kilik, Xianghua, Link, Taki, Cassandra, Yoshimitsu, Necrid and Spawn stood, while Yunsung carried the exhausted Talim. The Korean said,

"Talim, do you see that? We have returned to Earth…" The priestess nodded weakly. When the light was completely vanished, the young master of Ling-Sheng-Su dropped his bo immediately and saw his hand blistered. Even so, he was half-satisfied. In other hand, Xianghua turned to her blade…it was no longer Soul Calibur and turned into an old, battered sword. She realized the sword had fulfilled its purpose. She whispered silently,

"Thank you, Mother…" Then someone called them,

"Kilik? Xianghua? Is it really you?" They turned and saw Maxi spreading his hands toward them. The girl shouted,

"Maxi?"

"Of course, old Maxi! Who else?" Kilik smiled,

"You…remember us finally…" The pirate ran toward him and hugged tightly,

"How could I have forgotten? You are my closest friend! Er…Kilik, is there something wrong?" The youth didn't answer as he grimaced in painful expression. It seemed Maxi had hugged his blistered hand as well, thus causing unbearable pain. The pirate immediately realized that as Xianghua gestured panicky. He quickly distanced himself,

"Oh, I don't know you are wounded…I'm terribly sorry!" Kilik answered,

"I'll be fine, Maxi…it's glad to have you back here…"

"Let me bandage your hands…" He turned and saw the Chinese girl tore off some of her garments. She quickly wrapped it to his hand. He said,

"Thank you very much, Xiang!" Then they kissed each other, while Maxi said jokingly,

"Well, if you need me, I will be nearby…or perhaps not…"

Cassandra watched the surrounding with mixed feelings; she truly defeated Inferno and fulfilled her destiny. But with what price? Sophitia was dead and her victory tasted bitter in her lips. She had to break the news to Rothion, Pyrrha and Patroklos. She would missed her sister's sweet voice; tears rolled upon her cheek. Xianghua went closer to her,

"Cassie, are you all right?" Wiping the tears, the Greek girl answered,

"I'm all right, Xiang…I just remembered Sophitia…" Yunsung and Talim came to them. The ninja and the elf also joined them. The red-haired youth lowered his head,

"And…Mina…we'll miss them dearly," Unable to hold her emotion, Cassandra hugged Xianghua and sobbed. Then someone called faraway,

"Cassandra…" The blond-haired girl turned around and saw something that shocked her,

"Sophitia?" She saw Sophitia Alexandra standing not far from her. The woman wore the brown-pink garment with a bandanna. Cassandra was unable to believe, yet she saw the tears on the woman's cheek were real. She ran toward her, staring intently.

"Sophitia? Are you real?" The blond woman replied,

"I am, Cassandra! I'm your sister…when we were small; I always play as Atalanta or Ulysess…" The girl was no longer doubt; the woman standing before her was her sister! She hugged Sophita tightly,

"Sister, I thought…Charade has killed you…" Sophitia wanted to answer, but she saw Link coming,

"Princess Sophitia, I thought you…are…" The woman smiled to him,

"I will tell the story, but not here," Suddenly, Cassandra remembered something. Shyly, she showed the battered sword and shield,

"Sophitia, I'm sorry…" The elder sister hushed,

"Hush, it doesn't matter as long as you are returned safely…I believe you had done it…"

Yunsung stared them numbly, yet he was thinking,

_If Ms. Sophitia didn't die, then she must be…_ A knock in his head stopped the thought abruptly. The youth turned back and saw…a young girl in white-green garment holding a zanbatou. She smug only,

"Great, you had all the fun and not even a greeting for me…" The Korean cheered and instantly hugged Seung Mina,

"Mina, you are alive! Alive!" The black-haired girl brushed him brusquely,

"Of course, what do you think I am? Dead? No way, I'm too young and too tough for die!"

"Whatever! I can't say how I glad to see you here…" Suddenly, Link went to them as well,

"Ms. Mina, you are alive!" Now Mina felt annoyed,

"Wait a minute, I left all of you for 5 days and everyone thought I was dead? Now please give explanation what's going on here!" Taki replied,

"It will be a long story…"

Spawn watched them dejectedly; they already at home but he…how can he return to his own time? Then Necrid tapped her shoulder lightly. At first, he almost instinctively went to defensive. Yet, the creature didn't respond in a hostile manner. The green creature pointed toward the gap and gestured the Hellspawn to go there,

"You mean I can go back to my time through there?" Necrid nodded tartly. Hesitantly, the warrior from Hell moved toward the gap and entered…

New York, present time,

Spawn stared his surrounding; he was standing upon the top of the old church in New York. For the first time after spending time in the 16th century, he felt at home finally.

Necrid walked toward Yunsung and Talim. His massive shade covered both youngsters. The Filipino girl turned to the green creature and gives a forced smile,

"Gusto mo uumuwi?" The creature answered,

"YARS MORS. AHHHOOGH!"

"Sige, uwi ka…pero meron ako regalo para sa inyo," She took something from her leather sack and gave it to Necrid. It was the remaining Evil Seed. The green creature didn't say anything, as Talim said,

"Para sa inyo ito, hindi ko kailangan…wala na ng Soul Edge. Siguro tapos na ang aking palakbay, babalik ako sa mga magulang ko," Necrid nodded with understanding, and then turned back to the gap that he created. He could hear the girl saying,

"Paalam, Necrid…maraming salamat," The creature entered the gap to the Void and immediately vanished along with the closing, bringing with him the Evil Seed.

Above the small hill, the white-cloaked figure watched the departure of Spawn, Link and Necrid. His right eye gleamed slightly, when the green creature entered the Void again. He muttered,

"Good riddance…" As he twisted his huge scythe, his body blurred from the sight.

Quite far from Osthreinsburg Castle,

Voldo tried to wake up, but he couldn't. He was severely wounded during fight with Nightmare. He wanted to carry out his master's last wish, yet his body was broken severely. Then he heard the light steps nearby…someone come toward his direction.

A green-haired young girl came closer to the wounded assassin. She wore green pants and purple gauntlet. Her clothes barely covered her chest, while her pants pulled lower almost to the groin. The purple leather straps wrapped her shoes, while few wrapped around her torso. The girl brandished a huge steel ring with sharp edges; she watched the Italian with mocking stare,

"Ohh, poor creature…who do this to you?" Being mute, Voldo couldn't answer the question. The girl smiled coldly,

"Well, I guess I have to end your suffering now…" With unbelievable strength, the girl lifted the ring and whirled it before she brought it to cut the assassin into two. Yet she stopped in the middle,

"On the second thought, you might be valuable for me alive than dead…and you may have purpose for me…" Thudding her giant weapon, the green-haired girl took the wounded assassin and leaped away from the place.

When Ivy and Siegfried left, something happened. Ivy's blood that pooled nearby suddenly moved toward the discarded armor. Not far from its place, the ashes of Cervantes de Leon flew toward the same place and stick upon the armor. The armor itself began to emit a faint reddish aura…

Meanwhile, Raphael rode his horse back to the mansion. He smiled to himself, as the Soul Edge sheathed beside his waist. Yet, the smile faded as he saw black smoke came from the direction of the mansion. The French jolted in horror,

"No, Amy…" He paced his horse quickly toward the mansion.

Once inside its premise, he found out that the mansion was burned and ransacked. Bodies strewn everywhere, and he recognized one of them,

"Lumiere!" He leaped down from the back of the horse and clutched his butler,

"Lumiere! What happened? Where is Amy?" With dying breath, the butler answered,

"I'm sorry, Monsieur Berthine…I tried but…they're too many…Mademoiselle Amy…" He breathed his last breath. Raphael gritted his teeth furiously and he saw…Comte Duc Salle accompanied by Desgrand and a group of well-armed brigands. The corpulent man said,

"Well, you must be Louis Berthine…or should I say, Raphael Sorel…" The noble rose; he wanted to spoke but what came out from his mouth was almost like a feral growl,

"Duc Salle, you…these people were innocent; they know nothing about me," Duc Salle laughed,

"Yeah, right! I found you just accidentally, when I was looking for Countess Valentine. Then someone saw she went to this place and I have it checked immediately. From the servants, I found out that the master of this house had received a mysterious guest that brandished a huge sword…" Then the conversation was stopped when both of them saw an auburn-haired girl stood between them. Raphael whispered fearfully,

"Amy…" The girl shouted,

"Papa…" She ran toward her adopted father until a loud bang came. The girl felt something painful upon her chest and a red spot appeared upon her blue garment. Desgrand held a smoking flintlock. Seeing that, the young Sorel screamed,

"NOOO!" He ran and took the fallen girl in his hand,

"Amy, hang on…Don't leave me! I will help you! " Amy smiled weakly,

"Papa…I'm glad you are return to me…" Then she fell silent. Raphael felt broken inside; he tried hard to secure Soul Edge for her future, and now she was taken away from him forcibly. He turned to the corpulent man and his stooges. They guffawed and prepared their own rifles to shoot him like a dog. Inside, the evil sword whispered,

_Kill them! Give them what they give to your daughter…I…we can save her! Don't spare all of them! Kill them!_ He unsheathed the Soul Edge menacingly, thus allowing the fearful aura to spread around. He hissed with a terrible voice,

"Gladly!" Braving the bullets, he charged toward them and swung Soul Edge mightily. What could be described later was a bloodbath…

Faraway from France, the warriors trailed from Czech region down to the Balkan until they arrived at Athens. When Sophitia and Cassandra arrived at their home, Rothion and the healed children welcomed them. The others watched from a safe distance, while Taki felt jealous to see the Greek woman with her husband. The Alexandra's sisters invited and introduced them to their family, who more than glad to welcome them. Sophitia prepared the sumptuous meal for them, which welcomed by Mitsurugi. Once her children were away with Rothion, she and Mina told them what happened before,

"As you guessed, Charade had waited us. The creature attacked us mercilessly before we managed to know it," The Korean girl added,

"Actually Sophitia and I were more than enough for that creep, but we're spent after our previous fight. Not mention the creep copied your movements…moreover, we have to fight it in midst of heavy rain. " Cassandra, Link and Yunsung listened carefully, as Sophitia continued,

"At one moment, I managed to corner Charade, even kicked its evil core! Its body skidded across the mud. Thinking we won, Mina stormed through…but it was a trap!" Slightly ashamed, Mina explained,

"I wasn't aware, when the creature produced Voldo's katars. When I use Thrusting Fang, it evaded the attack and bashed me very hard. I was unconscious instantly…luckily it only managed to cut my braid and sent a small scrape" The blond girl said,

"That's what I saw in my dream…"

"I shouted, when Charade slapped Mina. I quickly send shield bash, throwing it quite far. However, it also sent the powerful kick that sent me away from her. Worst, my Omega Sword and Nemea Shield were scattered from me…Before I crawl away, Charade yanked my hairs and put its katar to my neck." Talim blurted,

"Then…"

"Before it managed to land a lethal strike, something or…someone struck the creature away. I was too weak to notice it and thought only of Mina. The fight wasn't long, because before I'm close to Mina, I saw another creature stood in front of me…It brought Xi Sword and Game Shield," Kilik jumped in shock,

"Lizardman!" Xianghua asked,

"Did the creature hurt you?" Sophitia shook her head,

"No, the reptilian creature stared me with humane expression and then spoke to me, 'Ssservant of Hephaessstusss…I have sssaved your life…I am asssshamed to return…' Before it left, I asked what its name is.

It said…'my name wasss Aeon Calcosss…remember that…' The creature vanished amidst the rainfall. Once recovered, I took Mina and drag ourselves to the nearest village. Luckily, her wound isn't serious. Fearing that Charade might attack you, we decided to follow back our trail…" Everyone nodded silently, nobody wanted to give any comment.

At night, the warriors but Link took their nap. Sophitia and Cassandra noted that the elf looks uneasy. They asked,

"What's wrong, Link?" The blond-haired elf spoke haltingly,

"Ms. Sophitia! Ms. Cassandra, I think it is time for us to say goodbye…" The younger girl realized,

"You will go back to Hyrule?" The Hyrule nodded,

"Yes, I'm done. Soul Edge had been destroyed; I believe it would bring Hyrule to peace again…" Sophitia felt a sudden loss; Link had accompanied her during the journey. It was saddened her to lose such good friend like him. Cassandra noted that sadness, prompting to say,

"Link, thank you very much…we wish you can visit us at Athena someday," Link smiled,

"Excuse me. Not now but I will visit you someday…" Finally, the Greek woman wiped her tears and said,

"Good luck for your journey, Link!" He nodded and produced the Ocarina of Time. With a gentle press, the device hummed and bathed him with streams of light. Seeing that, Seung Mina joined them as well, shouting,

"Goodbye, Link! Take care!" Link waved his hand as he slowly disappeared from their sight.

Three days later, Captain Cosseau and his regiment entered the burned mansion and saw the horrible scene. Everyone there were impaled by their rifles or cut into pieces by something sharp. Even Duc Salle wasn't spared at all. His bloated and mutilated body hung on the balcony. Desgrand got the worst treatment…his body were scattered to the four winds. At the same time, there were a row of newly-dug graves nearby. Unable to stomach such scene, Cosseau withdrew only to vomit, but not before ordered his men,

"Remove these body immediately…!"

On the English Channel, a small clipper crossed the sea calmly. The crews worked tirelessly, while the one-legged captain barked orders. When he turned around, Isabella Valentine stood behind him. She wore the purple cloak that covered her body completely. The grizzled man said,

"Don't worry, Countess Valentine! In no time, we will arrive at England…and of course, secretly!" The white-haired woman frowned,

"I hope so, Captain! I don't want they know I have returned, since the Valentine family has plenty of enemy…"

"You can count on me, Countess! They won't know your arrival at all…" She diverted the conversation,

"How is he now?" The captain looks uneasy,

"So far, he's got well…his health returned rapidly. I never see such strong man like him!" Ivy thanked the captain politely, before she turned into the ship. Though the Valentine family had gone derelict, she maintained some connection to the underworld of England. Though suspicious, she was assured that the captain's loyalty is worth of her gilds. With what remaining from her fortune and influence, she established a network of spies all around Europe to found Soul Edge. She had heard what happened to Raphael Sorel, however the noble has vanished from the earth. Slowly, she stepped down and entered a room.

Siegfried Schtauffen awoke from his sleep. His hair had returned to the normal blond color, while a scar crossed his right eye. His shoulder and chest was bandaged heavily, yet he could feel the pain. Instantly, he turned to the woman,

"I don't know whether I have to thank you or not…but I think I'm indebted to you," Ivy smiled and took off her cloak. She wore the revealing costume, but the difference was its color. It was colored white, instead purple. She spoke,

"Raphael has vanished after massacred Comte Duc Salle and his men…however he can't hide for long…" The name pained Siegfried; it was his failure to stop the noble from claiming the Soul Edge, thus creating another monster like himself. He said grimly,

"I'm sure we'll fight each other again, this time to death…" The Englishwoman went closer and caressed his face,

"Neither of us can do this alone, Siegfried…" She continued in a seductive manner, "I suggest you pick up your end and we begin working _together_." The young knight considered whether this was another test of his resolute,

"Somehow you have forgotten to destroy anything related to Soul Edge…" To this, Ivy replied,

"If I want to achieve my objective, I have to find a suitable ally…beside look what I have brought for you…" Then she produced something, a huge Zweihander. The German gasped,

"Faust…" Unconvinced, he asked her sternly,

"How can I trust you?" She said before kissed him,

"Sometimes mutual suspicion is enough…" Siegfried kissed her back and hugged her to the bed. The ship sailed calmly to its destination.

Few weeks later, the warriors departed from Athens and embarked on a merchant ship toward Arab. Upon there, they would take another ship to India and eventually to Ayutthaya. The seagull flew over the blue skies. As usual, Maxi sat on the deck, sunbathing. This time, his face was beamed. The Chinese girl called him,

"Maxi, good morning!"

"Good morning too, Xiang! Oh, Kilik! How's your hands?" The young master showed his bandaged hands,

"I will be fine; it will take three days," Xianghua went beside the pirate,

"Still thinking Astaroth…" He shook his head,

"Not anymore, I have the peace by letting go my past. Now I was thinking about my present and future…" Kilik joined them,

"What do you have in mind, Maxi?" Maxi thought harder,

"Hmm, probably I would working to earn some money…then I will buy my own ship," He looked distantly,

"Then I will round the ocean to find what the destiny holds for me," He turned to his friends,

"Of course, I will ask you to join me! What do you think?" The girl replied,

"That's nice, Maxi…however I have to return to Your Majesty and explain the truth about Hero's Sword,"

Kilik added, "I have another journey until I can let go my past. I'm sorry, Maxi." The pirate looks dejected, yet he smiled again,

"Oh, well! Anyway, if you changed your mind my offer still open…" All of them laughed instantly.

At the other side of ship, Yunsung stared the blue sea blankly. He was glad that he could prove himself, but at the same thing, he felt at loss. Suddenly Talim came,

"Kuya Yunsung, anong sa inisip mo?" She teased, "Alam ko, nag-iisip si Ate Cassie!" The Korean blushed,

"No, I just…" The girl continued, "Haa, huwag kang sinunggaling! Sabi ko kay Ate Mina…" Then Seung Mina appeared beside him,

"You don't have to tell me, Talim…it's oblivious in his face…" The red-haired youth turned to both of them,

"Are both of you conspiring?" The Korean girl sighed,

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay! Hey, have you seen the Sword of Salvation? Tell me what looks is like." Yunsung turned away from her, teasing,

"I won't tell you; you have to beg to me first, Mina…" Instead, Seung Mina sported a mischievous smile,

"I know how to make you talk…" In a sudden, she jumped to his back and held his neck. Talim was surprised to see that, and he shouted,

"Mina!" She slapped his butt, as he tried to keep balance. Then she shouted,

"Hyaah! Come, Yunsung! I won't stop do this until you tell me…"

"Mina, come on! You embarrassed me in front of Talim!" Despite his protest, Seung Han Myoung's daughter continued to make him a packmule. The Filipino giggled to see such funny things.

In another part of the ship, Taki wandered alone. She thought about Sophitia, yet she had accepted the reality that she had already a family. Then she saw Yoshimitsu and Mitsurugi. While the Manji meditated, the ronin looks restless. The ninja had no lost love to him, but she couldn't help to curious. She went to him and asked,

"Do you have a problem?" Mitsurugi glanced suspiciously, but she weathered it. He answered,

"I still not find where Soul Edge is; that's troubled me very much…" She said,

"I thought you already listening to what Yoshimitsu-san and Xianghua tell about our harrowing experience at Tartaros," Crossing his arms, the ronin nodded curtly,

"True, surely that can't be the sword I've been searching!" He turned to the distant sea,

"But I won't give up; I believe the real Soul Edge is out there…once I found it, I can even defeat Tanegashima," Taki shook her head tiredly. It seems the ronin had a hard time to believe that the sword that Xianghua broke was the same sword that he looked for. If he wanted to find Soul Calibur, his effort would be in vain since the sword had disappeared as well. She didn't say anymore, instead turned to the east…to Japan where his former master Toki also gathered the Evil Seed. She wondered whether it could become a threat like what Nightmare posed before. She whispered carefully,

"It's not over!"

Fu-Ma No Sato, Japan,

Inside the large hall of Fu-Ma clan, the wizened old man sat cross-legged at the center. He wore a kimono with the Fu-Ma mon, signifying he was from the clan. The black-clad ninja accompanied him. He looks severely to the fragments of metal that emitted faint reddish aura. He turned to someone sternly,

"So, can you reveal what secret behind these fragments? My men failed to capture the nuke-nin, I hope you will succeed where they had failed…" The man in front of him wore a terrible Oni mask, while the others wore the kabuki mask. The Oni-masked man answered with a cold tone,

"I'm assured you, Master Toki. We will succeed…that's our promise to you," Toki sighed, yet barely to cover a tone of disgust in his voice,

"I hope I do the wisest thing by trusting you, _maho-tsukai_!" The masked man bowed,

"You do the right thing by trusting us. Together we shall unlock the secret of these fragments…"

Late midnight, at Carpathia region, Romania,

Raphael Sorel watched the small village from his steed. The village was quite isolated and would be a perfect place for his plan. He turned to his sight to the abandoned castle. The place would be his place… he needs nobody but Soul Edge and Amy. He lifted the single-eyed rapier in front of him, and the bloodshot eye beckoned to him. Someone called,

"Papa, I'm hungry…" The corrupted noble said softly,

"Don't worry, Amy. We shall find our nourishment at that village. This will be our place and nobody would disturb us anymore as in France," Amy peeked from behind him; she also transformed like her adopted father. Her skin was bone-white, and her red eyes watched the village below with a hunger look…

At the same time in Osthreinsburg Chapel,

The white-cloaked figure walked closer to the strewn azure armor. He could felt an evil aura inside as Ivy's cursed blood and Cervantes' ashes stained the armor. He was displeased to learn that Raphael had took Soul Edge and Soul Calibur has vanished from Xianghua's hold. Yet what he found here was enough for his plan. Thudding his huge scythe again, the figure chanted a strange chant upon the abandoned armor. Slowly but sure, the red aura appeared from the armor and got stronger in every succeeding moment. As he continued the chant, something happened. The fleshy form appeared inside the armor and grew into appendages. The right one developed into a huge clawed hand like what Nightmare had, yet it added a vice-like jaw close to the shoulder. The left appendages filled the gauntlet easily and developed its fingers. Not stopping there, it also developed something akin to Zweihander but more bulkier and terrible. The bloodshot eye opened upon. The armor shook in a seizure-like movement until crimson light appeared on its visor. The white-cloaked figure smiled upon this development. The creature in azure armor rose and lifted his huge sword, saying,

"Let them come then! Their souls shall be mine!"

THE END

Author's Note: With this last chapter, I'm ending 'Soul Calibur II: Return of the Soul Edge' for good. You are free to express your reaction in form of critics, reviews (and flame). What do you think with the ending? I took liberty by adding something from L5R. The chapter was based upon SC information that I gleaned from Wikipedia. However, the story may differ far from SC III canon, if you noticed there. I must make some modification to allow the story flow. Yet I hope it didn't lessen your interest to read this fanfic. First of all, I thanked Firestarr who had encouraged me to write this fanfic and Sacharja for the suggestion. I also thanked those who had put their reviews here as well as those who had visited the fanfic. Thanks for to allow me post this fanfic. Once again, thank you very much!

Glossary:

Filipino:

Ito hindi ang ordinaryo apoy-This is not an ordinary fire

sila mga nawawalang kaluluwa-they are the lost souls

Nararandaman ko ang silang galit at kalungkutan-I can feel their anger and sorrow

Ito ang nararandaman ko nakaraan labing-limang taon-This what I feel 15 years ago

Kailangan ko ibalik sila sa kanyang dati-I must return them to their original form

Diwata ng hangin-Goddess of Wind

narinig mo ng mga kalulua ito- Do you hear these souls

ibalik mo sila sa dating anyo- Return them to where they are

ibalik mo para nanahimik silang lahat-Return them , so they can rest in peace

Manahimik na kayong lahat ngayon, mga kalulua- Now all of you are in peace

Hanggang sa uli – See you later

Gusto mo uumuwi?- Do you want to go home?

Sige, uwi ka- Sige, go home

pero meron ako regalo para sa inyo-but I have a gift for you

Para sa inyo ito- this is for you

hindi ko kailangan…- I don't need this

wala na ng Soul Edge- Soul Edge is no more

Siguro tapos na ang aking palakbay- my journey may be over

babalik ako sa mga magulang ko,- I will return to my parents

Paalam- Goodbye

anong sa inisip mo?- What do you think?

Alam ko, nag-iisip si Ate Cassie- I know, thinking Ate Cassie

huwag kang sinunggaling- Don't lie

Sabi ko kay Ate Mina- I tell Ate Mina

Others:

_Maho-tsukai­_- black, blood magic practitioner

Oni-demon (Jap.)


End file.
